Sangria (Saturday Special $6)
Every time it's Saturday and I find myself at JOEY, I always order their sangria special. Normally, I ask for less ice since its usually full to the brim with ice and hardly any sangria but today was slightly disappointing as the glasses arrived not even full and with 2-3 pieces of fruit.
Shrimp Lettuce Wraps ($13 + $2 for chicken or shrimp)
toasted peanuts, crispy noodles, fresh cilantro
The Shrimp Lettuce Wraps were super flavourful and spicy. The combination of the spiciness, crispy noodles and toasted peanuts against the refreshing lettuce is amazing. Even shared amongst 3 people, this appetizer is quite filling.
French Dip & Yam Fries ($17.50 + $2 for Yam Fries)
slow cooked prime rib, housemade roll, beef crackling, au jus
The sandwich was just as described, though it would have been preferable if the beef was not as compact such that when the sandwich is dipped the whole sandwich is able to absorb the au jus.
Bombay Butter Chicken ($17.75)
aromatic almond basmati rice, grilled naan
The curry, as described, is extremely aromatic and is very flavourful. For individuals who are worried about heat, the Bombay Butter Chicken has some, but it is extremely bearable. The vegetables and the chicken in the curry were moist and tasty. Both the moist naan and the crisp were great for dipping into the curry.
Kobe Style Beef Meatballs ($21)
fettuccine, truffle cream
When JOEY first opened its Eaton Centre location, this was my favourite dish. The Kobe Style Beef Meatballs are delicious and extremely well seasoned, however, they changed the spaghetti and tomato sauce to a fettuccine with truffle cream which I am not a huge fan of. Although the allure of the truffle cream makes the dish sound 'fancier', it doesn't really harmonize well with the meatballs and makes the overall dish quite heavy.
Similarly to the previous disappointing review I gave to this location, I still feel that this location's organization and service are still not at par. Although the food is starting to reach the standard par set by the Yorkdale, Don Mills, and the Eaton Centre location, I still feel that the Markville location requires improvement. Prior to coming to dine at this location, I went online to put my name onto the guestlist. Upon arriving I was notified that I would have to 're-wait and placed in line again' and wasn't given any explanation on why my online registration didn't work and quickly ushered away without an apology. My email told me I would only have to wait 5 minutes before being seated, however I ended up waiting 35 minutes. Additionally, it was difficult to find a waitress during dinner service and upon asking for water for the entire table she brought back a single glass. Upon being prompted again she said "Oh right" and never returned for the duration of the meal. Lastly, a waiter spilled a dish of soy sauce right beside me which landed near the foot of my chair where my Canada Goose jacket was hanging. He seemed unfazed by this and did not make any acknowledgement of the spill nor did not make an any effort to let me know that he was going help to clean it up or bring extra napkins such that I could do it myself. He just simply walked away, came back to wipe the spill, and walked away. Nonetheless, although the food consistency is better, I see no improvement on the organization or the service of this restaurant in the last 4 months and I am not pleased with this location and will probably not return on my own accord (though I forsee myself going back as it is the closest location with another dining party.)
JOEY Markville
1247-5000 Hwy 7 East
Markham, ON L3R 4M9
905.604.5639
