Umi Sushi Express - Regina

After my experience with Wasabi Sushi, I never in a million years expexted to find any good sushi in Regina.  But the problem was that I was getting some huge cravings for sushi and I broke down the next day and had lunch at Umi Sushi Express.  Now my experience with Umi Sushi in Vancouver was a horrendous one, with cold, hard rice and small slivers of fish.  I had no hopes, but I was desperate.  To my surprise, the location in Regina (Cornwall Centre) had some half-decent sushi.

I have no idea what this roll was called, but it tasted good.  It had some yam in it, and the whole thing was deep-fried.  It was still warm when I got it, so definite thumbs up for this one.

I orderd a spicy tuna roll, currently my favourite roll.  The tuna actually tasted fresh.

I didn't have a good a good experience in Vancouver with Umi Sushi, but here in Regina, I was pleasantly surprised.  Was it because my expecations were so low, or was I just desperate for sushi?  I don't think it was either.  I actually think the sushi here was pretty good.  The rolls were freshly made and still carried the residual heat from the chefs.  The prices were over the top considering what I got, but hey, I was in Regina and I was desperate.  I ended up going there one more time for lunch during my stay in Regina.

If you want to see some wacked out prices, Regina Airport had a shop that was selling California Rolls for $8.00.....

Wasabi

Wasabi Sushi was kind of a disappointment but then again, I shouldn't have been surprised.  I've been to some of the finest sushi places in Japan and Vancouver so I guess I must have been spoiled, but for some reason, I had some hopes to maybe get a taste of something that reminded me of home.  Instead, I found a place that rivaled one of the worst places I've ever been to.

Not sure what that little comment on the right there is all about...

The miso soup tasted alright, so I thought we were off to a good start.  But then again, it was -30 and perhaps any hot soup would have tasted good.

I tasted some of the rolls and they were okay, a lot of rice compared to what I am used to, but they still tasted okay.

This is what let me down.  Well, let's take a steo back for a moment.  Here in Regina, SK, I found a few Japanese Restaurants, but when you find Korean food on the menu, the place is probably run by Koreans.  Nothing wrong with Korean food, I love Korean food.  So, I figured, ah, screw it, I'm going to wait till I get back to Vancouver to get my sushi fix.  I'm here in the prairies, the beef should be good, and Koreans know their beef.  I was actually excited to see Gahl Bee on the menu, so I ordered the Gahl Bee rice bowl.

When I got my order, the server said that the chef deboned it for me....which was clearly BS because the beef they used was not gahl bee.  It was more like shredded lean beef.....dry lean beef, and definitely not cut from the rib.  Besides that, it was overseasoned and wayyyyyyy to salty.  I thought I was being clever by ordering Korean food in a Korean-owned Japanese restaurant, but clearly I was wrong.  I should have stuck with the sushi.  There's this place called Little Japan and they had one of the worst teriyaki beef on rice I've ever had....watery and bland.  If I took these two places and mixed them together, it might almost balance out. 

The Diplomat

I've been hearing of this place called The Diplomat since before I left Vancouver for Regina.  I noticed that the ratings aren't so hot, but I figured I had to see it for myself.  Upon arrival, the place had this "dignified" aire to it, so I felt relieved that I sort of dressed up for it. 

It felt upscale, but I didn't feel uncomfortable.  The staff were friendly enough, but very professional.

I had my standard Chivas Regal on ice......

Me and my new pals Paige, Adina and Dave.

The bread wasn't too bad, but it was made better with the whipped garlic butter that came with it.  I had a few, but I had plans to stuff my face with some beef after so I didn't pig out on these.

My buddy Dave ordered the escargot.  He said they were good, so I'll take his word for it.

My simple green salad was actually really good.  The veg was very fresh and crisp, but it was the dressing that did it for me.  It was amazing - creamy, but not too rich, and blended perfectly with the greens....just take my word for it, it was good.

So I ordered the 18 oz bone-in Rib Eye.  I asked for blue rare, but of course, it came rare to medium.  I didn't send it back because still tasted good, seasoning was perfect, and it wasn't horrendously overdone.  My colleague however had a bit worse luck with his sirloin.  It was just an aweful overcooked slab of dried out gray matter.  He sent his back, and the replacement wasn't much better, but acceptable.

Our server was great, and professional like I said.  He even did some table-side desserts that turned out pretty amazing.

When you go to the diplomat, you really are paying for the atmosphere and excellent serice.  Food-wise, I think I'd rather give The Keg my money.  Would I go back?  Maybe, if I were ever in Regina again.  Seems like a lot of famouse people had been there as they had a few walls covered with celebs/politicians and their autographs.  They've also got this cool theme going on where there are paintings of most if not all the Prime Ministers of Canada.









..

Fibber Magee's

Cheap beer at certain times of the day, not so good food, friendly but slightly disorganized service and understaffed, even though it was dead when we went.  After a really rough Saturday night, I was pretty much spent and not really able to go out again and get blitzed. 

 Fibber Magee's was pretty dead on a Sunday night, which suited me just fine because I wasn't really in a party mood anyway

Someone ordered Fish 'n Chips.....forgot to ask if it was any good.

Apparently the nachos were decent

I ordered another burger......

.....with a side of salad....totally counterproductive, but whatever.  It was the only way I could justify eating all that junk food.  My burger was a bit disappointing because it tasted like a hockey puck.....totally dried out.  My salad was good though!

So, I have no idea if this place ever gets busy, but it was really, really dead the night we went.  There was one guy working, and it seemed like he didn't really know his job.  He was a nice guy though, and he was trying, so I can't really fault him there.  Most of us were hungover from the night before still so the quiet atmosphere was just fine, though I can imagine that if we were a bit more chipper, the place would seem downright depressing.

The Rooftop

How many posts from Regina already?  I've lost count, but looking bad, it seems like I ate out a lot when I was there!  Another place I managed to visit was this place called The Roof Top Bar and Grill.  A couple of colleagues wanted to out, and I'd already eaten so I tagged along for a drink.  I wasn't expecting much, but when we stepped inside, we found a pretty classy looking place. 

It wasn't that busy considering it was a Friday night, but then again, it was -30 with the wind chill so I'm not surprised the place was practically empty. 

My friend's Martini.

On Friday nights, they have Ken Jefferson come in to play the piano.  This gentleman knew over 1000 sounds, including some songs I didn't think he would know, like Lili Marlene.  He takes requests of any sort, and this one time, even let one of our group play the piano for a while.

I was pretty full from dinner and most of my colleagues were as well, but some decided to order desert.  I sampled some of the cheesecake, and I'd have to say it would be worth coming back here just for the deserts and atmosphere.

Of course, someone was hungry and ordered the Lobster Broccoli Cheddar Dip ($11.97) which in taste was out of this world. 

Besides the fact that we weren`t really hungry, the kitchen was closed for food anyway.  I had a chance to speak to the proprietor and he suggested that the next time I visit, I should try the prime rib.  Unfortunately, I didn`t get a chance to go back before leaving Regina.  I think if I were to return to Regina, I would definitely take him up on his suggestion because I happen to love Prime Rib.  The staff were quite friendly and the service was great.  The atmosphere was definitely nice as well. 

La Bodega

 La Bodega was a pretty long walk from the Wingate where we were all staying.  A 15-20 minute walk may as well have been an hour considering it was -30 that night.  One of our pals soon learned to regret just walking out in a sweatshirt.

 

No wonder my frozen friend ordered a hot soup!

I rarely eat escargot, and it's not because I don't like it.  It's just that it's not readily available and most places I frequent don't serve it.  I'm glad someone ordered it though because the sauce alone would have been worth it. 

Foie Gras was delicious.....but there was so little of it!  The tiny little sliver of foie seemed even smaller on the huge plank of wood it came on.  It tasted like heaven, but I just wished there was more of it!

I don't know what I was thinking, but I ordered nachos.  The bare chips came with some salsa, some guacamole, and some sour cream.  Really plane-jane.

.The walk back was a nightmare, the wind had picked up and it felt even colder.  As you can tell from this picture, I was miserable.  For just a few seconds of exposure, my hands were completely numb from taking this photo.  

La Bodega was an interesting little tapas bar.  The atmosphere was cool, and the service was good.  Don't think I'd ever go back unless it was summer the next time I visit Regina!