Kelowna.com - Kelowna. Right Now!

By Sarah Jane Racchi

Across the lake there is a restaurant of religious experience at 13 Monks.

I dined there late on Sunday night with the notion there might not be anything there I would like. A name like 13 Monks, with no advertising explaining its title, is a little misleading. They are more than Asian inspired decor–the menu offers nothing but choice. The two-page menu will give you a taste of everything and anything you might imagine to come out of a creative kitchen.

We noted the awesome ‘80s tunes playing over the speaker and enjoyed the white linens. There is something so nice about sitting at a comfortable booth with a tablecloth. The bar tables do not have these, which I imagine would improve the relaxed setting of a lounge, but the deep, wide booths offer a bit more class and elegance.

We started off with the fantastically priced glass of their Sonora Ranch Cabernet-Sauvignon for $5 although I was tempted to try one of their worldly beers they advertise. The drink menu offers everything and anything of alcoholic nature your heart may desire. I am still expanding my wine-palate but the Sonora Ranch is by far one of the best house-wines I have tried. I also appreciated the lower cost.

We started off with a pound of honey garlic chicken wings for $9. It wasn’t advertised but the server was offering two-for-one appetizers but not for take-out. Had we been told that, we would have also dabbled in their Edamame beans or asked for another pound of wings. The wings were served hot and tasted amazing. They were a large portion and the sauce was generous without being too messy. I might ask for a finger-bowl for next time because I felt guilty wiping my saucy fingers on their beautiful cloth napkins.

I ordered the Vegetarian Stir-fry for $12 and added a chicken skewer for $4. I felt for the amount of food I got, I was cheating them. The black-bean hoisin sauce was a little spicy and delicious. Hoisin sauce is a Chinese dipping sauce, also used in other regions of Asia. It’s usually served with spring rolls, moo shu pork or common in Cantonese flavouring. The main ingredients include water, sugar, soybeans and red chili peppers. When you see it on a menu, give it a taste before you order. It’s always good to ensure you enjoy the sauce on a meal than to order an entree and send it back. Hoisin sauce isn’t for everyone but I love it.

My stir-fry was not short on vegetables with the Szechwan noodles including broccoli and carrots. It’s a rare thing to find carrots in a stir-fry in most restaurants. In my experience, it isn’t cost effective, mostly because they don’t have a long shelf life in a big refrigerator. These were sauteed to perfection along with the celery, mushrooms, banana peppers and onions.

My dining companion ordered the 13th Monk Burger. It was two thick hamburger patties with a butterflied sausage, Monterey Jack cheese, mushrooms and onions. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big burger before in my life. Nor had I ever imagined taking a German sausage, cooking it, butterflying it and sticking it on my hamburger like tomato or lettuce.

This burger is not meant for the weak. This is definitely a meat-lovers burger and when I tried a bite, I felt my senses overwrought with the joy of so much food and saddened by how many calories were probably in that one little bite. My dining companion worked for a few years in a McDonald’s kitchen and he assured me he can taste the difference in a once-frozen hamburger patty and that of an always-fresh hamburger patty. We decided nothing that good could be frozen.

Normally I’m not a dessert person but when I saw “Deep fried peanut butter cups” on the menu for $6 I threw all caution to the wind. They’re battered in what I imagine was pastry flour and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and drizzled with hot fudge or chocolate sauce. I couldn’t tell you at this point. What made the biggest impression was how amazing they were. One bite of ice cream followed by one bite of the most delicious thing I have ever had deep-fried. Wow.

And since that cholesterol plate wasn’t enough, we also decided to order the Ale and Ice cream for $10. Raspberry Beer served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a beer float. Still skeptic? The beer is more like champagne with the corked top and fancy presentation. We discovered this became a menu item after a manager was told to try it on a dare. Thank-you to whoever that was. The raspberry beer doesn’t have an overpowering taste of hops. It’s sweet and light, and the fizzy bubbles are delightful with a bit of ice cream.

If you don’t want to try one of the amazing burgers, a tasty appetizer, their tantalizing salads or the a great entree, go in for dessert and coffee after a long day. You won’t regret it until it shows on your hips.

Find 13 Monks located at 2569 Dobbin Rd., where Fogg ‘n’ Suds used to be in West Kelowna.

Sarah Jane Racchi has worked in the restaurant industry for 13 years — since she was 13. After graduating from SAIT with a major in print journalism she returned to the Okanagan to work for a major chain restaurant in British Columbia. For the last four years she has been a manager and avid customer to Kelowna’s eateries.

See photos from 13 Monks in the gallery below (photos by Gary Moore):

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Food, West Kelowna. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.