Two Chefs and a Table

I like this place but my first visit was a bit disappointing — probably due to my high expectations after reading all the reviews on Unilocal.Still just give it a try on beautiful Sunday…
We drove down to eastside downtown (few blocks down fr Chinatown) for brunch. We waited for 15 – 20 mins and got seated.
Press coffee — Strong and nice coffee.
Sausage and eggs — Sausage was quite dry and chewy!
Hash + chicken — Chicken tasted like jerky!
Southern Breakfast — it was ok, the gravy was quite rich and creamy.
No matter I disappointed or happy with it, they closed down on Jun 15, 2013.

I was thinking of giving you one, but I added one for the time I showed up, and even though I didn’t get any food out of you, this is how the story goes for your last day opened, and in the end I will never get to try you since you are now «closed for business». Please feel free to comment on what I have to say as even their phone, which they seem to not answer much, especially when they are open, says that they will be opened on their last day, June 15, 2013 for brunch, and that is it!
OK, let me ask you this, when you leave a message to your faithful following of brunch, what does that mean, give me a time frame that I can work with, no messages left, no one answering the phone and allowing it to go to a recorded message, fine you want to play that game. I arrive at the restaurant at 1:40 PM (does this seem to be in the realms of brunch?). We get in here, and it’s not packed, there are some tables left, I saw the kitchen still working at this time, their pans weren’t hung and cleaned and ready to close shop. The female who saw us said that «the kitchen is closed» really, I still see moving souls back there.
There is something about having a sign that either dictates your hours, outlined in black and white, or a tacky neon sign, that when ‘ON’ states your opened, and when ‘OFF’ tells you to get the hell away and find other options to satisfying your hungry food compactor. We tried to phone their number while waiting in their gravel filled parking lot, and the same message stated they were serving brunch. I just did a couple searches of the term ‘Brunch’ and added ‘what usual times’ in the search menu, from 2pm to 3pm and sometimes 5pm, I remember before pulling out of the lot, not hoping the gravel hit the side of the restaurant (or was I hoping), that it was 1:47pm!
The place inside is, in a better word, cute. Filled with bright colors, a joyous place to be in eating breakfast, lunch, or brunch (remember brunch ends before 1:40pm in their books!), somewhere I believe I would be comfortable eating, with an open kitchen concept. This is a sunny place, and it should be as the prices aren’t cheap in here!
Not the best part of town, more known for a filming of ‘Rumble in the Bronx’ by Jackie Chan, with interesting human being that roam the streets, some maybe zombie like. Cops bringing the prisoners into the sin bin aren’t too far off, and if you want a good area to walk off your meal, Hastings and Main is really just a stones throw away, have fun! Well, your no longer here to implement the fun choices after the meal, that I will be sad (that is if you didn’t drive here!).
As with all my other reviews, parking is not bad here, you have street parking, and they have a small lot that looks like a gravel pit to a construction area, hard hat not included. I really just wanted to try your food, tried to call ahead to advise I’m coming and in the end it just felt like you didn’t want to play this game with me. If I was to come after 2 and write this, then you can call me an A-​hole in the process, but who is looking bad now.
I just hope that this doesn’t happen in your Richmond location, and that you can sustain business for when my memory subsides and I make tracks to the only location opened. I have heard good things, but right now this one feels fresh, don’t say your open for brunch, and allow people to guess the hours of operation? Maybe you want to put a tacky neon sign to tell people your opened or closed. Some tips if you don’t want to serve food, then I will understand!
As the saying goes, «Revenge is a dish best served cold!» I agree, but what is worse is not serving the dish at all!

I’ve now made 5 attempts to dine here, confirming with the website (and Unilocal) their hours of operation. I live two blocks away so it’s quick to walk over. They are never open when they say they will be. I have also phoned a countless number of times (beyond 10) and no reply.
So hokey :(

After all the ranting and raving I’ve heard about this chicken and waffles business, I finally headed on over here to get my soul food on. Regrettably, it was an ill-​fated culinary venture because they were sold out. When you go somewhere with your heart set on something, it’s extremey debilitating to discover that that very thing could not be given to you. I forlornly ordered a salad instead which was no doubt delicious but how can you even compare a salad to something that sounds as stupendous as chicken and waffles? You just can’t.
Two days later I find myself here again. Even called ahead to ensure that there’s none of this running out of southern goodness nonsense. Then it arrived. My word. Who would have thought three pieces of fried chicken on a waffle could look so stunning. I instagrammed the hell outta my dish from different angles using a variety of filters. Once I captured a picture perfect moment, I was ready.
Omnomnommmmmmmmmmmnomnomnomnomnommmmmmmmmmmnomnomn­omnomnomnomnomnommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnomnomnommmmmmmm. Nom.
I think that’s pretty indicative what a smashing success this meal was.
On another positive note, the gorgeous décor inspired me to buy the very same chandelier from Home Depot I’ve been debating about for the last two years and paint it white.
Chandeliers, chicken and waffles. It doesn’t get more glamourous than this.

star #1: Beautiful décor and ambiance
Star #2: Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff
Star #3: Finger licking good lamb burger + perfectly crisp fries
Star #4: Delicious sausages and brunch in general
Star #5: Their bennies warm up my heart

Chicken and waffles! Chicken and waffles!
Yes, this is a review.
Chicken and waffles!!! You just have to try it to understand what this review is all about!

Showed up a few minutes before noon and was able to snag a table for 2 right away. The wait on a Saturday for others was not long at all, say, 20 minutes at most.
This lovely joint as quaint and warm as could be. Had the big lou’s breakfast and chicken fried steak. Both delicious and we were both stuffed by the end.
Reasonable prices, amazing service. A recommend-​er.
VANILLA. BUTTER. THANKS.

Nice Looking Building at the edge of the Downtown Eastside. The Dining area is tight fits about 2 Dozen diners at Tables and few more at the Chefs Bar. We arrived at High Noon the place was half full we picked a table with the Lead Servers Approval at window that overlooked the rack our bicycles were locked to. I had the Monza Burger my wife had a Currie bowl with shrimp. The food was very good both dishes and were very mildly flavoured. As dinning area became filled with the lunch crowd the Lead Server got a bit wound up her attitude negativity affected vibe of the room. I will still give this place another try.

The food was good, the décor was great, and it had everything to make it seem like the perfect new brunch spot.
However.
I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant. I have been a server for a significant amount of time, and am aware of how there are overbearing and unpleasant customers. The service staff actually made us feel terrible. No matter what we asked, whether it be where to sit, or if it was possible to have 2 ppl join us, they acted in such a way that made us feel so uncomfortable, and as though WE had to try to please THEM.
We were so disappointed because we were so excited by the décor and menu, but we will never go back.
This experience is the reason I created a Unilocal account. Enough said.

I’ve been here’s few times before since I work in the neighborhood. The place fills up during lunch hour. It’s an interesting place located very close to the Downtown Eastside «hood».
The kitchen is open concept. The décor has a comfortable feel. Bright and airy. There’s usually just one server as there isn’t much seating.
I’ve been here about 3 times and I’ve generally been satisfied with the food. Nothing to write home about.
THEN IT HAPPENED… When I came here the last time, I noticed something new and intriguing on the menu… something called chicken waffles. Fried chicken and waffles?! I’ve never had! Always excited to try something for the first time, I eagerly looked forward to it.
When it arrived, it looked divine. Almost too pretty to eat… almost. I took a couple of pictures and then cut my first bite.
Heaven on earth. 2 HUGE pieces of chicken lightly drizzled in maple syrup with pecans. The combination is magical.
I see many people put up the chicken waffle pictures here. Definitely a crowd pleaser. I find myself craving it which means it gets at least 4 stars!
If any of you have not had chicken waffles before and are foodies… you MUST go and order this.

I am a Vancouverite in need to find my identity. I certainly don’t fit into the mold of fitting in. I don’t own any Lululemon, or Canucks apparel. I don’t drive to Stanley Park on a Saturday morning for a jog nor read the nutrition levels in the back of the cereal box. Heck, give me the best tasting brunch in the morning, and throw some alcohol in the mix. I’ll use my physique (6’2 200lbs) like a credit line on a credit card until I max it out. Why can’t you throw everything in the deep fryer using buttermilk batter, it would probably taste better. I should really consider moving down south, they are probably more excepting in lifestyle choices.
I arrived at Two Chefs and A Table. It’s located at the boarder of Gastown where industrial, manufacturing, drugs and prostitution was the main economy in the 90’s. It’s so out of place for such a fancy restaurant. White exposed brick walls with contemporary chandeliers. Well… quoting Andrew Morrison, Strathcona is the new Yaletown. The formula is simple, find the most ghetto area you can and place a restaurant there. People are going to line up for hours waiting to get a seat in your restaurant that can host 30 max patrons, SUCCESS!
I did in fact have to wait for a table. It was packed inside so I had to stand in the cold. As I had time to ponder, I was choosing between the organic grape tomato pureed, smoked salmon scrambled eggs, or do I want the low fat breakfast parfait with locally grown fruits? I better have a freshly squeezed orange juice as well.
We eventually made our way in and sat at the chef’s table aka the bar counter, facing the open kitchen. As we were handed the menu, it continued the trend of a fancy restaurant. A legal sized piece of paper with less than a dozen of dishes on the menu, nothing is throwing me off anymore, or is it?
I was reading down the list on the menu and that’s when it struck me, I am being thrown off again. This isn’t how my brunch story was supposed to go. I can have Chicken and Waffles in Vancouver for breakfast? I thought this only happens across the border heading way south.
Chicken’n Waffles: Housemade waffles with pecan, vanilla butter and syrup. The buttermilk battered chicken was so soft, so juicy. The waffles were light, and the pecans added a crunchy texture. I am in love. I would have preferred it if they gave me more syrup, it tasted so good along with the vanilla butter.
Pancakes: griddled in fluffy buttermilk, vanilla butter. orange marmalade, and maple syrup. Nothing fancy on the appearance. Just buttermilk pancakes that’s every so fluffy. The orange marmalade was refreshing. I just didn’t know why I didn’t get any seasonal fruit, when the menu got my hopes up.
Sunday Caesar: Celery salt, spring olives, house made beans. It wasn’t Sunday, but who cares. Well salt rimmed glass with flavorful salt. Spicy cocktail paired with what I called an «impotent» bean.
French Press Coffee: Not on the menu but everyone was ordering it. Large Bodum French Press with freshly grind coffee. It sure woke me up. It also made me want to invest in a French Press again, I missed that in the morning.
Talk about being surprised in a good way. I woke up late, drove 30 km for brunch in an industrial area only to be surprised by southern soul food. Two Chefs and A Table is a restaurant I want to revisit again. I am also glad that I have the option of going to their other location. I would feel a little sketchy having dinner in such an industrial area. That is why, I will visit their Richmond location which is located near Bridgeport and Sweden Way… another industrial area…

Two Chefs and a Table is located in a very sketchy area so getting here is half the fun. There isn’t any other businesses beside it and is surrounded by industrial and apartment buildings. However, once I stepped inside, I couldn’t stop smiling.
The décor was felt like an old house, but with crystal chandeliers, dark wood and chic artwork. The space is small, but you feel cozy. Service was excellent and almost as if you’re visiting a friend’s house for dinner.
I couldn’t make up my mind so I ended up ordering 2 appetizers. I had the gnocchi with mushrooms and truffle oil and by far it was the best I’ve ever had. Cooked perfectly and didn’t feel too heavy, I almost wished I ordered two of the same dishes instead.
The 2^nd dish that I ordered was the cheese fondue, which came with toasted bread, apples, tomatoes and grapes. I wasn’t a fan of this at all. I can taste the smoked apple wood cheddar with emmenthal, but it felt like there was too much black pepper and wine. Believe me, I love strong cheeses, but this was some powerful stuff. The bread was also too hard so it made the roof of my mouth very sore and I didn’t end up finishing it.
For dessert, I had the crème brûlée and the caramel was thick and torched perfectly. I love smashing through that first layer. The custard wasn’t too cold and I can taste the Tahitian vanilla.
I may come back for brunch instead and so far I’d give this place a 3.5 stars.

Yes please!
I was a wuss and didn’t order the chicken and waffle. I know I know. Chicken and waffles! I so wanted to but that is a seriously huge plate of food and i wasn’t that hungry. So i got the pancakes and a side of bacon… pancakes were fluffy and had some apple slices at the bottom that cut the starch in a really nice way. Our coffee was late coming (it was taking them awhile to boil the water… no joke) so our waitress compensated by comp-​ing it for us! Hoooza! These are the little things people that will keep me coming back. Customer service. Gotta love it.
Overall we were really happy with our experience. The wait staff was really pleasant and efficient. Food was yum and i loved the atmosphere.
Only thing I wonder about is the one dude/​chef that was seriously just standing immobilized almost the entire time we were there. It was like he was some weird performance artist.
Intriguing

Have you ever had one of those lazy afternoons where you call up a dear friend to have brunch and not need to really say too much to each other? It’s just two people having a day out, a common bond between each other and the food.
This day, at Two Chefs and a table was just that.
The sun came out, it was a nice crispy winters day.
Perfect for a weekend brunch in the outskirts of old Japan Town that is slowly seeing a small resurection of specialty shops like Lou’s Butcher shop just down the street.
Two Chefs and a Table was one of the first places I wanted to Unilocal about but never really got the chance to try it until now. You know how you have expectations of what it should be like, after reading glowing reviews and word of mouth that in your mind, you kind of put it on a pedestal before you even get to try it?
I always try to put things into perspective about food and food services and base it on their customer demographics, the style of food and the their price points.
I would give it a 3.5 for today’s breakfast, a 4 for service, 5 for style and presentation of the place. I liked the way it looked and felt.
Cost factor here is decent. I guess middle of the road. Not cheap, but not expensive for what you get. Some of the dishes I saw were pretty large and the food quality seemed good. I think on some dishes, it would look like you got very good bang for the Loonie.
I ordered the quiche with a side of sausages for $ 3 more. No particular quantity, on the sausages which depended on the size of the links and would determine how many you’d get for $ 3.00. Today, I got two.
The sausages were from Lou’s Butcher shop, just down the street and they are good. Not greasy, not laden with fat but all meat and seasonings.
The quiche was an average slize and came with chunky pan fried taters, skin on and seasoned nicely. I’m not much of a potato fan, but I ate my share.
After picking through H’s breakfast of scrambled eggs, and a bit of her sausage, I was fuller than full, potently bursting at the seams and felt a bit like Whimpy after two cheesebugers and fries before gladly paying on Tuesday.
The nice thing about our meal was that it wasn’t greasy. I mean, yeah, we/​I like greasy breakfasts, but it’s not always good for the body. Especially for me. I love to eat and sometimes I don’t know when to stop.
Be careful with the salt shakers. They sprinkle with abundance. (if that means anything).
I like this place.
typed with two fingers and a thumb. (can’t you tell?)

Porchetta hash. Oh yes, a brunch spot — that’s also a dinner spot, of course — that delivers real, wholesome brunches — like chicken and waffles. Mmmmmm, yeah.
Allow me to deconstruct my amazing brunch: runny, perfectly poached eggs; hollandaise sauce; roasted potatoes, porchetta, zucchini, onions, toast. For $ 10. Say what? That’s reasonable! Throw in French pressed coffee, light streaming in the large windows, reflecting off of the vintage-​esque chandeliers, and well, it’s just a perfect place for a Sunday afternoon.
Some things to keep in mind about Two Chefs: It’s TINY. Like, there’s nowhere to wait inside. And since it is popular, there’s likely going to a wait. And you’re going to be waiting outside. Make sure your whole party is with you, or they’ll bypass you for the next group. And if by whole group, you were thinking a large party of 6, think again, I’d suggest Two Chefs when it’s just you and your closest crew. «Table for 2 please.» They also stop taking tables at 2:15ish. We got there at 1, and it was enough time.
Servers and hostessing staff seem to be run off of their feet. It’s fair, it’s busy. But it’s also really small, so their put-​off attitudes feel amplified. It’s noticeable and detracts from the magical feel of the space. A little smile, some banter, maybe even a water refill or a quick check in during our meal. I’d smile back :) None of this put me off enough to not come back. No, Two Chefs, I feel a little too fluttery around your menu! I love you, regardless. Je t’aime!

Just as good as I remembered.
This time I had the smoked salmon benedict. Hollandaise, and the home made English muffins were excellent. Note that their eggs for the benedict are cooked medium, which means no runny yolks. Be sure to let them know if you want your eggs undercooked.
French press coffee, good food, cute space. Yes, I still love this place.

Had reservations for dinner with a large group, and we got seated at the big table. Surprisingly, it wasn’t very busy for a Saturday, though the place is tiny so reservations seem like a good idea if you’re more than a party of two.
The food was all good, though nothing was particularly astonishing. It was all just well done and delicious. I particularly liked the duck confit salad – a full crisp and juicy thigh over a bed of greens and the shoestring fries. The risotto was creamy though not as rich and flavorful as I’d hoped for. Everyone else raved about the mac and cheese which had lovely bits of crunchiness going on – panko crumbs?, but I think I’m just not the biggest mac and cheese person. The portions are very generous, especially when it comes to the sides – they should warn you that those can easily be shared amongst three people, and the duck salad was plenty to split between two people as a starter.
They had a small but thoughtful selection of cocktails and each cocktail seemed to have its own size/​shape of ice. Some kind of bartender secret? The staff couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating – dishes that we indicated would be shared were helpfully served on two plates, they turned down the ac because we were freezing, and unusual for a fine dining place, they were happy to allow each of us to decide to order a la carte or to do the chef’s menu.
I’d definitely come back next time I’m in Vancouver.

I love this place! The location is a bit mah… but nothing dangerous or anything. I in fact walked from Gastown to the restaurant, but of course with 3 more girls not by myself.
The Eat Drink festival allows one entrée and a glass of wine.
I had Coq Au Vin and it was excellent. The potatoes were a bit chunkier and not as soft as I’d like it to be but the meat was good. The portion was generous. I think I should have had the Bourbon instead of the red. The red was a bit too strong for me…
The place was nearly empty except us, and it was Saturday night at 6PM. Friends had tuna and one other thing on the menu…
The service was ok, the girl was very nice, attentive. But otherwise left us to chit chat and laugh throughout the dinner.

Though about trying this place after hearing lots about it… I knew it was a cute little house just a little past main in gas town (not sure if it’s still gastown)… so I took a stroll to get some brunch.
I read the reviews here and wasn’t getting my hopes up tooo high and walked into a lovely little house with a funky chandelier and a long table for 8 in the middle and tables of 2 and 4 around the walls.
I ordered orange juice while bf ordered Oj and coffee… a bodum that could’ve filled 3 mugs of coffee was brought out just for him! Cream and raw sugar was provided on a nice tray. I took a sip and it tasted uniquely different and delicious… he says it was the cream. I thought it was the coffee.
For the food, I ordered polarside chicken omelette with spinach and brie, along with potatoes, toast that came with in house made pear jam.
It was delicious… the chicken and filling was sandwiched between the egg, not so much combined like a traditional omelette. but i liked :)
The potatoes however, were very dry. I thought they were frozen because they didn’t seem very well cooked. but I noticed in the kitchen afterwards that they are made in house… I just didn’t like them very much.
The pear jam was out of this world… i covered my slices of toast with jam. If I was at home, I would’ve licked the jam clean off its plate!
Bf got the caramel apple cinnamon pancakes that came in a large plate of 3… they were soooo big, but sometimes it is quality, not quantity. I thought they were overly dry, and although the apple bits were great, you could only get these pieces closer to the middle of the pancake… I was overall disappointed with them.
The service was okay… I think the restaurant is owned by the two chefs and the owner who served the entire restaurant. Although he was helpful, I felt intimidated to ask for anything because I felt I was being a bother.
The bill came to a great price. For the giant bodum that gave my bf two cups of coffee with an extra glass sitting nice and hot in the french press, it cost $ 2, and glasses of OJ were $ 2.50.
A full meal with tip for under $ 30 I say is very worth it, but don’t expect something out of this world.

This is a review for their brunch. See photos I posted.
You want to know what my favourite part of my experience was? You’ll never guess. It was the bodum of coffee. I loved it! Seriously, if you could drink more than that at brunch… you, my friend, drink alot of coffee.
I’ll admit, I have not had the opportunity to try their dinner menu. It’s not out of the question for me after you have read the review.
I will say this, the presentation was clean but unexciting. Not that this is the main reason for not enjoying the meal. If anything, it gets me excited at the giant white serving plate in front of me!
I love breakfast food! The food was properly cooked but I, like another reviewer, found the side of potatoes a little on the soft side. It needs a bit of crunch to contrast the soft scrambled eggs. Speaking of the eggs, they too were just just shy of flavourful. It wasn’t bad but everything else was just A-​ok.
I really wish they added some fruit to the plate.
I guess, when I see a small and polished restaurant with impeccable everything, I expect to the food to follow through. I rarely have this expectation from a greasy spoon. There is something to be said about a restaurant that is beautiful but the food doesn’t have the same follow through.
Now the service was great! Can’t be faulted for that.
Would I go again? Sure. If someone wanted to I wouldn’t be opposed to it. It wasn’t greasy. Things were cooked well except the potatoes. I might know that for the next time round to bring my own fruit and season the eggs a wee bit.
Reasonably priced.
I will add a side note. My friend was neurotic about parking here. We decided to sit where we could see the car. There is an array of strange people walking around. If you aren’t used to the area that thought may cross your mind.