The Keg - Yaletown (revisited)

I have finally taken my demons head on, looked my personal fear in the face, and laughed.  Even pointed and laughed as I strode away victorious.  Yes, The Keg Size Omega is no longer the bane of my existence.  The one steak that could mock me as I ran away in defeat, unable to eat more than 2/3 of that glorious hunk of dead cow.

I don't really know what happened this time, although I have a few theories.  When I first ordered the Omega, years back, the server didn't quite know about it, nor did she know the pricing.  I have a feeling that the chef may also have made a minor mistake and cut off more prime rib than he/she should have.  I'm convinced that the chunks we got were at least 32 ounces and that's one of my theories on why I couldn't finish the Omega my first go around.

Our server was vaguely familiar with the Omega, but didn't know there was a name attached to the legend.  This day, I was feeling confident for some reason and even had some of the bread before my meal.  I had my glass of Chivas Regal in my hand and I was ready to rock and roll.

When the Omega arrived, I thought there was some sort of mistake.  It looked a tad bigger than The Keg Size, and nowhere near what my memory told me.  The Omega was markedly smaller.  In fact, we were told it was a 24 ounce, double the size of a regular prime rib, not double the Keg Size prime rib.  I was mildly disappointed, but also realized that my first go-around may have been a mistake where we got more than we were supposed to.  But part of my disappointment lay in the fact that I could not boast about killing the 32 ounce (probably 32 ounce) monster that had once haunted me.

 No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make the Omega look big in the pictures.  It was definitely smaller than the first Omega I had. 

 I didn't leave any evidence that there was once food on my plate.  I finished the prime rib, I finished the garlic mash, the deep fried onion bits, and even went back to finish off the complimentary bread.  At the end of it all, I was still comfortable, which is not what I was hoping for, haha!  Anyway, after my original encounter with the Omega, I heard stories of my own friends finishing the Omega without so much as breaking a sweat.  I felt inadequate.  This time, I had no such thoughts.  I even had room for desert!

One of these days, I will return to the Richmond Keg location, just to see if the Omega I had nightmares about was all just a big tease.  If it's anything like I had here on this night, it should be no problem.

The Keg - Yaletown

Whenever I visit a Keg location, I'm happier than a pig in $hit.  It has become one of my favourite places to dine of ALL TIME.  The Yaletown location was new for me, and it did not disappoint. 

Me, my pals Jay and Eric.  Eric originally wanted to go to this place called Cardero's but by the time I got downtown, he said he was craving steak.  The Keg Yaletown was right around the corner so we ended up here.

The place is just massive, with 4 storeys, tall ceilings.....just a massive establishment that you can't tell the size of from the outside.

Some pretty nice decor, the 5-tier fireplace was interesting.

The patio bar - completely exposed to the outside, closes at 11pm due to by-laws.  Would have been something else to be out there.

Pretty good view from the patio

The comp bread was fresh and tasty, but for once, I didn't gorge myself with it because I'd eaten right before going to The Keg

That's a my favourite drink - Chivas Regal, 12 yrs, enjoying the view of the fireplace.  That's Keg's idea of a single....the tumbler is practically full.

Prawn Cocktail, never ordered this before - was really good - like mini lobsters....

Lemon garlic butter to go with Eric's Lobster.

Eric ended up getting the Surf and Turf.  Now, I haven't had much luck in the past with lobster at The Keg, but it turns out that this one was made just right.  Eric reported that it was not only moist, it tasted quite good.  He had a sliver of prime rib and some garlic mash that was prepared to his liking as well.

Now, I say a sliver, but it was still a decent hunk of meat, especially after wolfing down a lobster tail and The Keg's famous garlic mashed potatos.

I of course had nothing else on my mind whenever I go to a Keg.  Keg Size Prime Rib, one of the best hunks of meat I have ever had, and it's nice to get consistency whenever I go.  I never have to worry if they will *uck it up or not.  It never fails that they would bring it to me exactly as I ask - FAT AND BLOODY! 

Apologies, the reason I'm dropping the F bombs is because recently, I shelled out quite a bit of hard-earned money at Seasons in The Park for a piece of meat that was overcooked, overpriced, and overseasoned. So many times, I've been to other places, and so many times I've been disappointed. From the entry level places like Kelsey's, to the mid-range places like Cactus Club, Milestone's, Joey's, Chop's, to the sort of high-end places like The Diplomat(Regina), and Seasons in the Park, and I've always found myself saying "I can get better at The Keg for cheaper".

As usual, my prime rib was perfect.  The spice rub was spot on, the fat/lean ratio was good and I was tempted to eat all the grisle, but my heart suggested that it would rather I didn't.  The lean parts melted in my mouth and as a result, I inhaled my Keg Size Prime rib.  It's funny, because before arriving at The Keg, I wasn't even the slightest bit hungry.  I think I might be ready to give that Keg Size Omega another try.  I have to raise my glass to The Keg because they know how to prepare a wicked prime rib.

Eric ordered some sort of Creme Brulee...it was absolutely tiny and no where near Keg Size.  But apparently it was good, and besides that, there was't much room after the main anyways.

Jay ended up ordering some cheesecake.  It tasted good, I think, but I was so full and in much discomfort, so I really can't tell you I enjoyed it.

Our server - Sara(h?) was absolutely incredible, very professional.  She made sure our drinks were full, but at the same time not pushy at all because she knew that I had to drive.  There was a chip in my glass and she promptly reported this to her manager , who in turn came out, apologized and comped my drink.  I wasn't even complaining, just wanted to let them know in case another customer might complain. 

We were there for four hours, just relaxing and chatting with a new friend that we made that night - Avtar.  He was a really interesting person to meet, with lots of great stories.  If you're reading this Avtar, hope you are doing well.  

 Sara kept coming back to make sure that we were okay, if we weren't having drinks, she would top up our water glasses.  At the end of the night, Sara gave me a tour of the restaurant from top to bottom.  Earlier during dinner, we had discussed that it was my first time to this particular location so she offered me a tour.  Turns out this probably the biggest Keg in the region.  The place was pretty impressive, 4 levels including the patio dining area, the main dining area on the second floor, the bar/lounge section on the main floor and a dining area in the basement for private functions.

The food was spectacular as usual, the prices are always reasonable, and tonight, the service was better than expected.  Would I go back?  In a heartbeat!  Thank you Sara for taking care of us this night!