Buffalo Sister Sunday Roast Review
Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:51 pm
Name: Buffalo Sister
Address: 128 Street 19 (just north of the corner with 172)
Telephone: 017 879 403
Let me preface by saying that this isn't meant to be a comprehensive restaurant review. It's merely a review of their monthly Sunday Roast (first Sunday of the month). It's also going to be compared a lot to Cavern's Sunday roast as the latter is my usual place for roasts, so serves well for comparison purposes.
The place is more of a self-serve venue as it's essentially a sandwich bar with little available in terms of seating. The décor is unpretentious and simple (I don't think I'd imagine a sandwich bar differently). I like the new logo, looks very clean and professional. Most of the space is taken up by their open-kitchen. The staff are friendly and the bathroom is very clean.
My usual Sunday roast partner (the guy who actually got me into them) was in Sihanoukville this weekend, so I figured I'd give Cavern a rest and give Buffalo Sister a try. There are usually only two choices of meat available: lamb and beef were on offer this Sunday. I settled for the beef roast (8.5$). The food arrived promptly and was piping hot. The beer which I'd been sipping while waiting (1.5$) was ice-cold and served with ice. The plate was fairly large, but not enormous. Probably a little smaller than Cavern's large roast (9.5$ I think, including a drink). However, I'd give their presentation an edge over Cavern.
The garlic rosemary potatoes were what I'd call traditional roast potatoes. They were fully cooked and tasted nice, but were perhaps a bit dry. I've never been a huge potato fan to be honest, but I've grown VERY fond of Cavern's very crispy/fried-like potatoes. The only problem is that even with the large roast at Cavern, you only get three tiny pieces of potato. Given that spuds are dirt cheap, I've never understood the reasoning behind the small portions. But I digress... Verdict for the potatoes: good but not great.
The meat itself was very nice. I'd definitely give it an edge over Cavern's. It wasn't as fatty as Cavern's beef (I don't like eating through blubber) yet was also very tender. It wasn't the least bit dry either. Definitely good.
The veggies were good, but it's kind of hard to mess up steamed vegetables so that's all I have to say about them. The yorkshire puddings were great. You get three small puddings instead of the large one you get in a few other establishments. They were scrumptiously soft and delicious. I'd say quality varies at Cavern. Sometimes they're soft and tender, while other days they're overcooked and crispy. Either way, these bite-sized delights were a hit. The cheese and cauliflower was good, albeit there was only a very small bit of it. I think it was gratine. Bit of soft oozing cheese, yet a bit of crunchiness on the top. It was small bite full, but a good one.
Now, for the pleasant surprise: gourd/pumpkin puree. This stuff was great. I personally love pumpkin and have always enjoyed making/eating pumpkin purees, soups and pies. Weirdly enough, it was perhaps my favourite part of the dish.
The gravy was another good aspect of the roast, but I thought a bit more would be in order (or maybe a self-serve bowl). I would have liked a bit more gravy to go along with my meat, and the potatoes especially could have benefited from a bit more gravy to offset their natural dryness. That being said, I understand they have to ration it for everyone. Still, I think it would have helped make the potatoes a bit less dry and well, let's be honest, (almost) everyone loves gravy.
The final verdict: Buffalo Sister obviously have no trouble selling their roast. It's only once per month, but they have a lot of regulars coming in, as well as delivery orders. All in all, I'd say it's a great Sunday eating option. In terms of value, I suppose I'd give Cavern a slight edge given that their portions are slightly bigger and the roast comes with a drink. However, in terms of overall taste they're probably very close, each having their unique stronger and weaker points. It goes without saying that reviewing food is a highly subjective thing, and the way I like potatoes or meat might be what someone else hates. Setting-wise, Cavern has the advantage of being a pub, so it has a wider selection of drinks and a more “pub-like†feel to it. But Cavern is around 50C inside and I'm not always in the mood for eating food at 1pm under dim red lights. Either way, I'd highly recommend giving Buffalo Sister a try for anyone wanting to try a unique roast. It's only once per month, so I people should try it out and make up their own mind.
-Lex
Address: 128 Street 19 (just north of the corner with 172)
Telephone: 017 879 403
Let me preface by saying that this isn't meant to be a comprehensive restaurant review. It's merely a review of their monthly Sunday Roast (first Sunday of the month). It's also going to be compared a lot to Cavern's Sunday roast as the latter is my usual place for roasts, so serves well for comparison purposes.
The place is more of a self-serve venue as it's essentially a sandwich bar with little available in terms of seating. The décor is unpretentious and simple (I don't think I'd imagine a sandwich bar differently). I like the new logo, looks very clean and professional. Most of the space is taken up by their open-kitchen. The staff are friendly and the bathroom is very clean.
My usual Sunday roast partner (the guy who actually got me into them) was in Sihanoukville this weekend, so I figured I'd give Cavern a rest and give Buffalo Sister a try. There are usually only two choices of meat available: lamb and beef were on offer this Sunday. I settled for the beef roast (8.5$). The food arrived promptly and was piping hot. The beer which I'd been sipping while waiting (1.5$) was ice-cold and served with ice. The plate was fairly large, but not enormous. Probably a little smaller than Cavern's large roast (9.5$ I think, including a drink). However, I'd give their presentation an edge over Cavern.
The garlic rosemary potatoes were what I'd call traditional roast potatoes. They were fully cooked and tasted nice, but were perhaps a bit dry. I've never been a huge potato fan to be honest, but I've grown VERY fond of Cavern's very crispy/fried-like potatoes. The only problem is that even with the large roast at Cavern, you only get three tiny pieces of potato. Given that spuds are dirt cheap, I've never understood the reasoning behind the small portions. But I digress... Verdict for the potatoes: good but not great.
The meat itself was very nice. I'd definitely give it an edge over Cavern's. It wasn't as fatty as Cavern's beef (I don't like eating through blubber) yet was also very tender. It wasn't the least bit dry either. Definitely good.
The veggies were good, but it's kind of hard to mess up steamed vegetables so that's all I have to say about them. The yorkshire puddings were great. You get three small puddings instead of the large one you get in a few other establishments. They were scrumptiously soft and delicious. I'd say quality varies at Cavern. Sometimes they're soft and tender, while other days they're overcooked and crispy. Either way, these bite-sized delights were a hit. The cheese and cauliflower was good, albeit there was only a very small bit of it. I think it was gratine. Bit of soft oozing cheese, yet a bit of crunchiness on the top. It was small bite full, but a good one.
Now, for the pleasant surprise: gourd/pumpkin puree. This stuff was great. I personally love pumpkin and have always enjoyed making/eating pumpkin purees, soups and pies. Weirdly enough, it was perhaps my favourite part of the dish.
The gravy was another good aspect of the roast, but I thought a bit more would be in order (or maybe a self-serve bowl). I would have liked a bit more gravy to go along with my meat, and the potatoes especially could have benefited from a bit more gravy to offset their natural dryness. That being said, I understand they have to ration it for everyone. Still, I think it would have helped make the potatoes a bit less dry and well, let's be honest, (almost) everyone loves gravy.
The final verdict: Buffalo Sister obviously have no trouble selling their roast. It's only once per month, but they have a lot of regulars coming in, as well as delivery orders. All in all, I'd say it's a great Sunday eating option. In terms of value, I suppose I'd give Cavern a slight edge given that their portions are slightly bigger and the roast comes with a drink. However, in terms of overall taste they're probably very close, each having their unique stronger and weaker points. It goes without saying that reviewing food is a highly subjective thing, and the way I like potatoes or meat might be what someone else hates. Setting-wise, Cavern has the advantage of being a pub, so it has a wider selection of drinks and a more “pub-like†feel to it. But Cavern is around 50C inside and I'm not always in the mood for eating food at 1pm under dim red lights. Either way, I'd highly recommend giving Buffalo Sister a try for anyone wanting to try a unique roast. It's only once per month, so I people should try it out and make up their own mind.
-Lex
