Table: Helen's Grill Restaurant
Helen's Grill is a greasy spoon old-style family restaurant at the corner of King Edward and Main st. I've always seen it sitting there at the corner when I drive by, and when I was looking for a brunch place I decided to drop by after I found out that my first choice of Hawker Delight doesn't open until noon.
The inside was quiet with one older gentleman sitting at the counter. Business was picking up when I was leaving, because it was closer to regular meal hours. I browsed the menu, and was debating between a later-ish breakfast (served all day!) or something else. Eventually I decided on the hot turkey sandwich, which comes with the soup of the day, and a chocolate milkshake.
The soup of the day turned out to be chicken noodle soup, which was served up almost immediately. The noodles were soft but not overdone to nothingness, and there was a good balance to the seasoning so it wasn't too salty. The bits of chicken were shredded and it had peas and carrots, and it came with saltine crackers. Nourishing and filling.
My milkshake was simply done and delicious. It's served in the same cup that it was blended in, which is pretty big.
It wasn't too thick, but I think just the right consistency to be able to drink and enjoy easily. Here's a picture of the size of the cup next to the regular plastic water cup:
My open faced hot turkey sandwich was practically a turkey dinner without the stuffing. It's simple food done well. Lots of dried parsley sprinkled on top, the turkey is a mix of white and dark meat, the veggies simply steamed. The potatoes were really light and fluffy, so I'm not sure if they were entirely real or they just really whipped them to make them that light. The gravy was delicious and added moisture to the turkey. By itself the turkey was a little bit dry, but due to the moistness of the potatoes and the gravy it made for a delicious bite. The bread wasn't toasted and so it soaked up the liquid on the plate so understandable parts were a little soggy, but it was still really yummy.
Helen's looks to be a neighbourhood relic and it's not hard to see why. Small greasy spoon family-style restaurant, nice quiet and classic atmosphere, and food simple but done well. It's not as cheap as some other diners I've seen, but the prices are moderate and they have daily specials as well as senior specials.
The inside was quiet with one older gentleman sitting at the counter. Business was picking up when I was leaving, because it was closer to regular meal hours. I browsed the menu, and was debating between a later-ish breakfast (served all day!) or something else. Eventually I decided on the hot turkey sandwich, which comes with the soup of the day, and a chocolate milkshake.
The soup of the day turned out to be chicken noodle soup, which was served up almost immediately. The noodles were soft but not overdone to nothingness, and there was a good balance to the seasoning so it wasn't too salty. The bits of chicken were shredded and it had peas and carrots, and it came with saltine crackers. Nourishing and filling.
My milkshake was simply done and delicious. It's served in the same cup that it was blended in, which is pretty big.
It wasn't too thick, but I think just the right consistency to be able to drink and enjoy easily. Here's a picture of the size of the cup next to the regular plastic water cup:
My open faced hot turkey sandwich was practically a turkey dinner without the stuffing. It's simple food done well. Lots of dried parsley sprinkled on top, the turkey is a mix of white and dark meat, the veggies simply steamed. The potatoes were really light and fluffy, so I'm not sure if they were entirely real or they just really whipped them to make them that light. The gravy was delicious and added moisture to the turkey. By itself the turkey was a little bit dry, but due to the moistness of the potatoes and the gravy it made for a delicious bite. The bread wasn't toasted and so it soaked up the liquid on the plate so understandable parts were a little soggy, but it was still really yummy.
Helen's looks to be a neighbourhood relic and it's not hard to see why. Small greasy spoon family-style restaurant, nice quiet and classic atmosphere, and food simple but done well. It's not as cheap as some other diners I've seen, but the prices are moderate and they have daily specials as well as senior specials.