Henry's Kitchen Pasta & Grill (Reservation & Pre-order Only ) — Restaurant in Port Moody

This is an interesting concept kitchen with only one server and I believe one chef in the kitchen. Dining here is reservations only and you're encouraged the pre-order a head of time so the chef can order just the right amount of food.

Based on the reviews we wanted to give this restaurant a try. Jasmine who runs the front of the house and is the only server actually does a fairly good job at serving guest considering its just her. The dated decor didn't bother me as much as the VERY strong smell of moth balls (the smell sticks to your clothes long after) which lingers throughout the restaurant. It definitely impacted the food experience because the fragrance is so strong. The food just took far too long to be served. Our appetizers took 20mins which was okay but our mains took another hour after that to leave the kitchen.

The food had a good flavor and seasoned well. The biggest problem everyone had with the dishes was the cook of the pasta. It was just under done not yet Al dente so it was chewier than it should be. We were all too hungry by then to wait for it to be fixed. I have a feeling the cook for the pasta is a preference of the chef as it was the same for all our pasta dishes.

They claim that the longer wait time is to ensure quality of the food and reducing food waste helps them provide higher quality food for less. Honestly I didn't feel their pricing was less than any other restaurant out there and I wasn't blown away by the quality that I'd want to come back to go through the wait and the moth ball smell again.

It was an average experience overall. Nothing terrible happened but nothing that blew us...

The food was average at best, but worth a visit, I guess.

We started with a lobster arancini, mussels, and their bread made in-house. The arancini was one of the better dishes we had that evening. The flavour was good and it had a nice crunch to it, but I couldn't really tell that it had lobster in it if not for the prominent and inedible lobster shell sticking out the top. Their mussels were steamed in a great tomato broth. However, a thin broth doesn't stick to the meat unlike a thicker cream sauce. Furthermore, the mussels themselves didn't taste fresh and were mushy. The bread was extremely soft and the balsamic reduction was delicious.

Our table's duck breast and veal tenderloin was overcooked. Still, the texture of the duck breast was excellent, however it didn't taste like much. The supposed orange sauce that the duck was to be served with was barely noticeable and did not stand out all. The tenderloin's flavour was uninspiring and flat, but the potatoes it was served with tasted overwhelmingly like cheap truffle oil. The third entree, the beef shank, was comforting and was stewed to a delicious tenderness.

Lastly, the lemon tart and tiramisu did not seem like it was made in-house. The lemon was too sweet and the meringue on top was unsubstantial. The tiramisu felt inauthentic and seemed more of a sponge cake.

Given the exceedingly average food served, service, and atmosphere, I see no way that Henry's Kitchen could be considered a good value. Don't let their high ratings set your expectations high; make a reservation and taste for yourself but don't subject yourself to a...

We've dined at Henry's Kitchen three times since they opened in December of 2016. As a perfect example of "you can't judge a book by its cover", the simple store front and dining area hide the gourmet tastes offered by Henry.

Once you get to know the owner couple, Jasmine and Henry, you'll realize the attention they put into what they offer. Everything must be fresh and homemade. The restaurant style is hard to decipher from reading the menu. My take is that it is a fusion of French, Italian with a minor Asian twist. Its style is more like those small restaurants nestled in a small European town: It is intimate and you always order either the "land" or "sea" special-of-the-day without a second thought.

After three meals there, my favourites are their homemade smoked salmon, pesto angel-hair pasta and grilled lamb chops. I don't eat deserts, but my family devoured their cheese cakes and apple crumbles like bears to a honey.

Their only drawback so far is the lack of a liquor license to offer wine with your meal. Apparently, the application is pending, so hopefully they can close this drawback soon.

Update on July 28, 2017: Well, they secured their liquor license and the wine selection is very good. We frequent Henry's Kitchen approximately 3 times a month now and the dining experiences continue to impress us. They are becoming so popular now that you'll need a reservation to dine there...