Alexandra Chronicles: Bro, Check Out Mr.Bro!

604Menu
Apr 21, 2024
9 min read

Updated: May 2, 2024

April, 21, 2024

It's finally here, the first installment of Alexandra Chronicles and for the first restaurant in this series, I visited Mr.Bro! I have never been to this restaurant before so this is an authentic first-time experience and I can't wait to share it with you! My only predisposition to this restaurant is from my visits to Deer Garden next door. I recall glimpsing a dark, uninviting space in the corner of my vision, but my curiosity never compelled me to venture inside and discover what lay beyond those doors. However, I have set off on this Journey to try every restaurant on Alexandra Road, and this is where my journey begins.

Location and Parking

Mr.Bro is located on Alexandra Road specifically in Venezia Place on the second floor. This plaza alone has over 15 restaurants surrounded by a variety of other stores and offerings consisting of two floors with an upper and lower parkade. On the second floor, Mr. Bro is nestled in the corner of the plaza, its narrow entrance subtly inviting those who seek its culinary delights, yet easily overlooked by the casual passerby. The parkade is exclusive to patrons of the plaza, however, I have rarely seen parking rules being enforced at this parkade, just know that there are risks of possibly getting a ticket or potentially having your vehicle towed if you park at this plaza and leave the premises. The last thing I want to mention about this location and the plaza's parkade is that the space is very limited and quite inconvenient in terms of parking stalls, but also the space within the parkade to maneuver, please be cautious when navigating in this area as when it gets dark, it is hard to see when people are casually walking on and off the crosswalks without any warnings.

Reservation and Wait Times

Mr.Bro does not take reservations at the moment, this can cause quite an issue if you are not patient. Later on in this blog, I will speak more about the atmosphere, but this is NOT a large restaurant by any means, which means if you happen to walk in during peak traffic, you can expect to wait close to 20 minutes for a table. For my visit, I walked in at around 6:00 PM on a Thursday and got seated immediately, however during my dining experience I found that the later it got, the restaurant became more packed and you could see traffic increasing as the night went on. My tip would be to arrive earlier in the evening regardless of what day during the week. If you are willing to wait 10-20 minutes for a table during rush hour then this will not be an issue for you!

Special Guest This Week: Gary Sim

My first honorary guest of the Alexandra Chronicles series is Gary Sim! Gary and I first met back in 2017 thanks to our shared workplace. He has been a lifeguard since 2015 and is currently an Aquatic Leader for the city of Richmond. Ever since we first met, Gary has been a close friend of mine and he brings an awesome energy and aura everywhere he goes, so it was a no-brainer to invite him as my first guest on Alexandra Chronicles! Gary's fun fact is that he is double-jointed on his left thumb and broke his right thumb from a volleyball accident which has given him the unique ability of being able to lay his thumb flat across his palm nearly touching his wrist! Special thanks to Gary for joining me and he's excited to share his experience with you down below!

Socials:

Atmosphere and Service

The atmosphere of the restaurant can be described as cozy, there was a warm and inviting aura that was both comforting and familiar. Gary and I both thought that the black interior walls were complemented nicely by the yellow dimmed lights it was a space that you felt welcome in. Another way that I can describe the interior design is that it was very modernized, with many different characters inhabiting the walls, whimsical drawings and jokes splattered across the walls, it makes you feel like you've stepped into an artist's playground with a lively setting. The tables were quite small and the seating area was also quite condensed, however, this generated that intimate and personal experience during the night out with friends, families and loved ones. Also if you are a fan of K-Pop (Korean Pop), they play modern Korean music throughout the evening as a

nod to fans of the genre, immersing patrons in the vibrant rhythms and melodies of K-Pop culture. The staff was amicable and welcoming. They did an amazing job of accommodating my requests and questions. If I had questions about the food, they would go out of their way to ask the chef at the back and come back with an answer. At one point, one of our servers took out their phones to search for the name of a specific sauce that I wanted to know more about. They always greeted us with a smile and friendly demeanour. The staff took notice early that I was taking notes on my notepad and taking photos of the food and later in the evening when they served us our hot stone dish, she even went out of the way to ask me if I would like to take a video of her presenting the dish to our table and cooking it for us, which I thought was really kind of her to do. I would have liked them to check on our table ever so often and ask us how our meal was and if we needed to replenish on water, but I also believe that she wanted to give us our own space. Overall the atmosphere and welcoming staff were a great addition to the evening that made it much more enjoyable.

The Menu

Their menu is divided into seven sections, signature salads, grilled and deep-fried dishes, appetizers, meals, specialty cuisines, soups and drinks. Their menu is digital and you order at your table on the iPad given to you at your seat. I enjoy this extra touch to the dining experience, it's just another fun aspect that you and your friends can experience while ordering. The iPad enhances the dining experience by offering clear pictures of dishes for visual reference, along with designations like "best sellers" or "favourites" to assist new patrons like myself and Gary in navigating the menu. This streamlined process simplifies decision-making, making it easier for us to explore and select dishes that pique our interest. Something that Gary noticed about the iPad was that you can select different languages on there to help users from diverse linguistic backgrounds navigate the device more comfortably and effectively. As you can see from the photos below, they also have a Late Night Happy Hour that offers select dishes on their menu at a cheaper price, if you've ever ventured out with friends for a late-night outing, actively seeking a restaurant with Happy Hour offerings, this spot is definitely worth noting for future reference!

Late Night Happy Hour Times Sunday - Thursdays 9:00 PM - 11:30 PM

Friday and Saturday 9:00 PM - 12:30 PM

The Dining Experience

I would first like to start with some bad news as we enter the dining experience. Unfortunately, this location does not offer Banchan (반찬) which is something that Gary and I found disappointing. If you do not know what Banchan (반찬) is, essentially they are a series of Korean side dishes that are usually replenishable such as soybean sprouts, sweet potatoes, and spicy cucumber salad just to name a few. Banchan (반찬) is a cultural tradition that fosters a sense of togetherness and unity, it also adds depth to the dining experience and enriches the flavours and textures presented in the main dishes to elevate the overall meal, needless to say, we were quite disappointed. Another thing I would like to point out now and that you will see me bring up quite often throughout this review is that their portion DO NOT match the pricing, both Gary and I agree that this is NOT the place to go if the portion size is a deal breaker. There were a couple of dishes that are worth mentioning that had generous portion sizes relative to the price, however, this was not consistent across all dishes that we ordered and I will be mentioning which items this pertains to below.

Deep Fried Shrimp With Cream Sauce (Full Order) - $25.95 CAD

Gary's Rating: 8/10

My Rating: 9/10

This appetizer was the highlight of the evening for me. If you decide to pay a visit to Mr.Bro, I would highly recommend that you order this dish. Even other patrons around us asked us what this was so that they could order it for themselves. First of all the presentation was really nice, with the way that they had the sauce slathered on the shrimp and the contrasting colors of the greens and the coupled sauces. The deep-fried shrimp batter was crunchy and even with a generous sauce, it is not overpowering and does not overwhelm the crunchiness of the batter. The sauce consists of a cream sauce and a balsamic vinegar sauce, I felt that the balsamic added a unique acidity that compliments the richness and boldness of the dish. The size of the prawns is worth noting as they were quite large which is always a good thing. Overall this dish was delicious and had balanced flavours that truly make this a unique dish on its own and would be my must-try item at this restaurant.

Soft Tofu Stew With Beef - $18.25 CAD

Gary Rating: 7.5/10 My Rating: 8/10

While this dish isn't typically on my restaurant order list, it's precisely these unexpected culinary adventures that inspired me to launch 604Menu, aiming to blend friends and culture. Credit for this particular dish goes to Gary, whose suggestion nudged me to step out of my comfort zone, and I'm grateful for that. This dish is one of the dishes the portions were quite generous for the price. It is also worth mentioning that the bowl of rice DOES NOT COME WITH THE DISH and that Gary highly suggests that you order a bowl of rice on the side with this stew and it unites all the flavours of the stew and the many fillings inside to create a distinctive experience. As someone unaccustomed to such dishes, I found the sesame oil in the stew to be a bit overwhelming, dampening some of the flavours. However, Gary pointed out that he considered it reasonably balanced, especially compared to the heavier use of sesame oil in other Korean restaurants he's frequented in the past, which he preferred.

Stir-Fried Udon (Yakiudon) (Chicken) - $17.75 CAD

Gary's Rating: 6.5/10

My Rating: 6/10

This dish was probably the most underwhelming dish of the evening. The picture above with me holding the bowl of udon was me being surprised at how small the bowl is. There was absolutely NOTHING special about this dish. The vegetables were cooked well and added much-needed textures to the overall dish but the portions were way too small considering that this was supposed to serve one person and is not an appetizer. There was barely any chicken in my bowl and I also felt that the very few chunks of chicken pieces that were in my dish were quite dry as well. The flavours were there, however, there was nothing that this dish shouted "unique" in any way and I would not recommend or order this dish the next time I go.

Grilled Beef Thin Skirt (AAA+) - $31.75 CAD

Gary's Rating: 8/10

My Rating: 8/10

Finally, we arrived at the last dish of the evening. What is Korean food without some grilled meats?! Once more, I found that the portion size of this dish didn't quite align with its price point. However, our server had forewarned us that it was intended for one person. The beef skirt arrives raw at your table, sizzling on a stone grill while the server adeptly cooks and slices it before you. This interactive element added an extra layer of enjoyment to the dish. Accompanying the beef are three distinct dipping condiments: Ssamjang, a fermented soybean paste blended with spices; chilli sauce; and salt & pepper. Additionally, a bowl of lettuce is provided for assembling your lettuce wraps. As depicted in the image above, you simply dip the beef into each condiment before wrapping it in a lettuce leaf and savouring it in a single bite!

Gary's final scores

Deep Fried Shrimp With Cream Sauce (Full Order) 8/10

Soft Tofu Stew With Beef 7.5/10

Stir-Fried Udon (Yakiudon) (Chicken) 6.5/10

Grilled Beef Thin Skirt (AAA+) 8/10 Service: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall Score: 7.25/10

Ryan's final scores

Deep Fried Shrimp With Cream Sauce (Full Order) 9/10

Soft Tofu Stew With Beef 8/10

Stir-Fried Udon (Yakiudon) (Chicken) 6/10

Grilled Beef Thin Skirt (AAA+) 8/10 Service: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall Score: 7/10

In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Bro is an excellent choice for smaller groups of up to four people, offering a cozy and intimate dining atmosphere. While the food quality generally ranges from moderate to high, the inconsistency in portion sizes detracted from the overall experience. The total bill amounted to approximately $110 CAD, prompting Gary to jokingly remark that he could still devour two McDoubles! The experience as a whole was enjoyable especially if you have the right people around you, but I can confidently say that it's not a location that I would be desperately revisiting anytime soon.

Mr. Bro's Official Website: https://mrbro.ca/

Mr. Bro's Phone Number : (604) 284-5596

Address: 8580 Alexandra Rd #2000, Richmond, BC V6X 4B3