Undefined — Restaurant in Hamilton

UPDATED January 8th, 2024:

Google Reviews does not allow you to make multiple reviews of the same establishment, so I am updating my previous review. We would consider ourselves "regulars" at Undefined since our first incredible expereince in March of last year. We wanted to share that for us, Undefined is "the place" in Hamilton, for great food and amazing service. From the ever changing creative menu featuring the most imaginative ways to use the freshest ingredients to the flawless level of friendly service, Undefined just does it right. A warm shout out to our regular servers, the kitchen and the bartender / master barista for consistent excellence (and one of the best cappuccinos in the city).

You know you have found a favourite place when you and your family and friends just say "let's do brunch" and there is no discussion as to where we are going! ;)

We had the pleasure of dining at Undefined for the first time on Sunday March 5th. Although our first time we felt like we were regulars as soon as we arrived. Even before discussing the food and beverage experience, the service provided by our server Lindsay needs to be highlighted. Lindsay defines excellence in a member of front of house for Undefined. From menu recommendations to just the right amount of checking in with us during our visit made us both in agreement that Lindsay "defined" our Undefined Brunch. Adult coffee and a gin and elder flower martini (a weekend special, we hope to see as a permanent menu item for our next visit) started us off. We opted for sharing the crispy brie and beet salad as an app. Next in line was our mains of braised short rib in a yorkie benny and the open faced croque madame. As I write this review I am wishing we had of ordered a take out repeat of our brunch. Great menu selections, fresh ingredients a wonderful atmosphere and second to none service. We can't wait to return...

In response to the owner: there may have been reservations but that doesn’t excuse the two walk-ins we witnessed that were seated inside. I know they were walk ins because we overheard their conversation about trying the place out as they passed and saw our food. We were there for 1.5 hours and the restaurant wasn’t any more full than it was when we came in at the end of our meal. Again, vibes are way off.

My friends and I came here last Saturday and our experience was definitely odd….We came from Toronto visiting some friends who moved to the area.

Dropped in the restaurant at around 4:30. The restaurant was dead - there were only 2 other people dining there. We were greeted by the hostess who asked us if we had a reso, we told her we didnt. She proceeded to look at her seating chart and pretended like she had trouble finding us a seat. There was only 3 of us and again, the restaurant was EMPTY. She said she could put us at the bar or on the patio. It was a bit chilly outside but there was a bit of sun so we went with the patio.

While we were seated there were two people from the street that I overheard say “oh let’s try this place” so they went in. Idk what happened but they ended up being seated inside. Idk, what the hostess was doing but I felt discriminated against.

After a few minutes a waitress came to take our order, she was nice! The food itself took way longer than expected though and they’re charging basically Toronto prices which is ridiculous. The food was pretty decent but I’ve had better food in Toronto for less. Anyway, we would come back but the hostess really left a bad taste in our mouths. She was either too lazy to actually work and put two 2 tops together or she wanted to make the restaurant feel pretentious. Either way, vibes...

Stopped by Undefined for lunch on Friday. Had read some great reviews, and liked that they had some ingredients you don't typically see at most lunch places - wild boar, adobo pork belly, wagyu. The cocktail menu is extensive, with a top section of Undefined's take on familiar cocktails. The bottom section has a list of original cocktails labelled "Things For Those Who Know What's Up", many of them with Asian ingredients and spirits.

The hostess and our server Dharma was fantastic! Friendly and informative, Dharma made the whole lunch experience fun and relaxing. If Dharma didn't have answers to our questions, as she is fairly new to the restaurant, she was patient and went back to the kitchen and bartender to get answers. Since the food came out pretty slowly, it was nice to have such a great server. Dharma needs to be promoted to dinner service, which we plan to come back for.

We went with with Wild Boar Dumplings as starter, and Adobo Pork Belly "Choripan" and Malaysian Fried Chicken sandwiches. On the recommendation of the bartender, Isiah, I went with the Sesame Street cocktail, a boozy concoction of sesame-infused Japanese whisky, ginger liqueur (Domaine de Canton) and Kuro-sato Black Sugar.

Overall, great food and great service. Preparation of the meals was kind of slow, so not sure you'd want to stop here for lunch if you have a 1pm meeting. But, for a boozy Friday afternoon lunch it was fantastic. We'll be back for dinner, hopefully with Dharma as...