June 2020 (Blog Post)

Ottawa Restaurant Takeout Review:

NeXT- Perfect Ottawa Take out

Hello once again fellow Foodies! As I wrote in my last blog post, I’m following up on my promise to complete my first ever food review. I might not be a great food critic so just bear with me. After deciding to do a restaurant review on the basis of ‘takeout’, I stumbled upon this article from CBC News – Ottawa about restaurants which are finding the recipe for success during this pandemic.

One of the restaurants mentioned in the article, NeXT in Stittsville, caught my attention because of the down-to-earth attitude of its owner-chef, Michael Blackie (pictured on the left). Around the end of April, in discussion with his executive chef, they came up with NeXT 2.0, to offer patrons curbside pickup. Upon further investigation, I found out that the restaurant had great reviews and was on many Foodies’ list of restaurants to try out in Canada’s National Capital.

On their website, NeXT 2.0, one of the city's hot spots offers a few takeout options to choose from. I decided to go with the Family Dinner for 4 and thus treat my family to a nice end-of-week dinner on the patio outside (and, of course, put them to work them as tasters for more views on the meal). The family dinner for 4 was advertised as a set menu for 4 persons with 7 dishes in total: 6 Savory + 1 Sweet to be shared. The selling point for me was that I would be able to share all the dishes with my family.

I could feel my palate already salivating at the menu offerings!

The menu didn’t offer any customization which is understandable given the current situation. The cost of the meal was a bit pricey but in keeping with a restaurant of this caliber. The payment process online was straightforward, and I received the email confirmation mere seconds after completing the transaction.

On the chosen night, a family member working in that part of the city picked up the order from the restaurant. He let me know that the order was ready precisely at 5p.m. (the time slot I had selected) and that the process was done seamlessly with a restaurant employee providing him with the order curbside, in front of the restaurant.

And now, for an Ottawa Restaurant Take out Review…

Here’s a quick snapshot of the courses included in the Family Dinner package

St Albert Tempura Fried Cheese Curd – maple sriracha

As a lover of cheese (especially St Albert cheese curds), I was really looking forward to this dish. It did not disappoint. The tempura fried cheese curds taste like a real mozzarella stick with a thin, just right coat of batter that lets the cheese peek through. The smokiness of the sauce makes it less rich and not too overpowering. The only drawback is that it’s a bit bland without the sauce.

Cryo Watermelon + Hickory Smoked Feta – candied maple pecans, grained mustard lemon balm

This colorful and delicious salad is a nice light dish. With each bite you get a nutty and sweet taste. The hickory smoked feta gives the dish more depth. Although stipulated as cryo watermelon, we didn’t really taste a difference compared to regular watermelon. Overall, a great dish.

Ka-POW Cauliflower – cashew, sweet soy + plum vinegar sambal, edamame swipe

I don’t have much to say about this dish. It’s a pleasant and savory meal with a subtle flavor of cauliflower. The edamame swipe is a nice pairing. Not a lot is offered in this dish and I expected more of a kick to it with Ka-Pow in its name.

11OZ Fatty Cap Ribeye – bashed crisp fingerling potato, shallot

We really loved this dish! The ribeye was tender, my knife easily cut through the meat and it was cooked medium rare (just how I like it). When I ordered, I was worried since you couldn’t choose the doneness of your steak. But I ended up lucking out. The fingerling potatoes were really soft and melted in your mouth. The sauce in the dish was great - a nice light gravy smothered over the potatoes. This dish was my second favorite!

Blackie’s Crispy Chicken – sambal + kecap manis tang, cashew crush, jasmine rice, cilantro

This dish was a re-interpretation, a play off General Tso chicken. The chicken was quite tender and the sambal and kecap manis (Indonesian sauces) added flavorful taste to the poultry. The jasmine rice was a nice add-in. All that being said, I was underwhelmed as nothing really stood out for us. Although tasty, it was my least favorite out of the seven.

Pacific Guajillo Prawn, 7 Pieces – jasmine rice, hard fried garlic, lime, jalapeno, butter balm

I’ll get to the chase - this one blew us all away! A major YUM! Nice-sized prawns and the fragrant rice had a nice, light, yet innovative citrus taste to them. The fried garlic added just enough depth to it all. Our only slightly picky feedback on this one was that we didn’t see the need for the side butter balm – when you’ve tasted perfection, it doesn’t need to be improved.

Tempura Fried Bread & Butter Pudding – peanut caramel sauce

This was so much tastier than a typical bread pudding. It was more of a take on pound cake. The spices were perfect as was the silky caramel sauce (With peanuts you say? Not really that evident to us.) The only minor quibble with this one was that it could have used a bit more of the fresh fruit to play off the (albeit delicious) starch. A thoughtful ending to the meal.

I wholeheartedly agree with other Foodies in Canada’s National Capital – NeXT 2.0 was well worth the visit, ahem, carry out. The portions in the Family Dinner for 4 were enough for four, the price reflected the value of the meal and the ingenious courses were nicely balanced off each other. We already want to go back! And it was nice to know that we’re supporting local talent and a local business in these trying times. When you decide to take this in as well, just get ready to do a lot of dishes once you’re done. But that’s something many of us are already doing anyway, as we cook more at home right now.