Chillax & Co. — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

Since I love the brunch that Chillax Coffee makes, I had to check out the new restaurant they opened as well! I dropped by not once, but twice during their soft opening, and tried a large selection of dishes that were pretty darn tasty 😊

-[FOIE GRAS & CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT] $17 🐓Foie gras blended with chicken liver and a variety of wine, rich and buttery taste. Served with crunchy baguette and dry apricot 🥖 Goodness! This honestly looked a bit odd when it was first served, but I am so glad I tried it because wow, it was delicious 🥖 My one suggestion is to give an option for us to order an extra side of more baguette because their baguette is crispy, and soft, while being perfectly flavored

-[STEAK TARTAR] $18 🥩 Striploin beef tataki, bounded by quail egg yolks and seasoned with capers, pickles, onion & fresh herbs. Served with crispy dumpling skin 🥖 I also tried this originally when it was served with a side of bageutte instead, and I will say that the dumpling skin pairs better with it because there's more pieces of it (I do LOVE their baguette though haha) 🥩 A sizeable portion for the price of it too

-[TARRAGON FRIED CHICKEN] $14.50 🍗 Battered and fried chicken with a pungent scent of herbs. Served with house-made chipotle sauce 🍗 I am a really lazy eater so when I heard they had BONELESS fried chicken, I ordered it right away 🍗 The chicken is well seasoned, and well fried - although it doesn't need the chipotle sauce, it does go well with it!

-[CREAMY CLAM CHOWDER] $11 🥣 Umami, creamy and silky chowder soup. Served with garlic baguette 🥣 This is a pretty sizeable portion as well! 🥣 Loved how creamy the soup was, and how filling it is because in addition to the seafood in the soup, there are also chunks of potato in it too

-[SEAFOOD LINGUINE] $24 🍝 Mediterranean-styled pasta, homemade fresh tomato sauce, chardonnay, scallop, mussels and shrimp 🦐 Had a decent amount of seafood that came with it! 🍝 This isn't really a dish I would order because my eyes are always on the more creative dishes, but my family enjoyed it a lot

-[DUCK CONFIT W/MIXED BERRY SAUCE] $26 🦆 Slow-cooked in duck fat, meltingly tender, skin crisped to golden perfection. Served with gravy and rich mix berry sauce, well-seasoned home fries 🦆 Okay, the duck was EXTREMELY tender, and well cooked 🦆 My only gripe was the seasoning on the duck was slightly saltier than I would have liked - would still order this again though 🤭

-[THICK-SLICED STRIPLOIN] $32 🥩 10 oz thick-cut striploin steak with buttery and herbal flavor, perfectly seasoned and juicy. Topped with garlic butter and served with home fries 🥩 The portion of steak is pretty good for the price - the cut could be a tad better in terms of having the chewier parts removed but still worth trying 🥩 A well seasoned steak, that is also cooked well, and served with delicious garlic butter

-[LAKSA CURRY NOODLE SOUP] $18 🍜 Traditional laksa soup base - creamy, sweet flavor but with a mild spicy kick. Fried tofu puff and bean sprout, topped with lime leaves and soft-boil egg. (Protein options: Slow-cooked chicken breast, Seafood +2, No protein) 🦐 When I went originally, the price reflected having seafood in it already but I understand why they need to price it for an additional $2 - it is quite a lot of seafood haha 🍜 This is probably my favorite main that I tried, and I could see myself coming here on a call fall/winter day to warm up with a hearty bowl of this

-[PISTACHIO CREAM LATTE] $5.25 ☕ If you like the flavor of pistachio, you will love this drink the way I did

The dishes they serve here allow for a lot more cooking creativity and I am here for it 🤭 I'll be back many more...

Food: 5 Stars Service: 3 Stars Ambience: 5 Stars Value: 5 Stars Sanitary: 5 Stars Overall: 4.6 Stars

• Note: The staff can be hit or miss depending on the day—sometimes they’re warm and attentive, other times less so. During our visit, there was a mix-up with our drink order. Rather than acknowledging the mistake, we were made to feel like it was our fault and were still charged for the incorrect item. Unfortunately, that left us with a less-than-great impression. *

My visit to Chillax & Co on New Year’s Day was nothing short of fantastic! Despite how busy the place was, the service was absolutely top-notch. Every staff member was attentive and friendly, ensuring that even on such a hectic day, we felt well taken care of.

The food was absolutely delicious. Each dish was prepared to perfection, and the attention to detail was evident in every bite. From appetizers to dessert, everything was flavorful and well-presented. The Kumquat Lime Berry Soda I had before was just as refreshing as I remembered, and it paired wonderfully with my meal. The restaurant clearly made significant improvements since my last visit six months ago, where I had some concerns about food consistency and other aspects. I’m so glad they addressed those issues and elevated the experience.

The ambience was also great, with a lively yet warm atmosphere that added to the celebration of the day. Chillax & Co have done a great job merging modern aesthetics with a welcoming vibe that’s perfect for any occasion.

Yes, the prices are a bit on the higher side, but the quality of food and service more than justifies it. Being able to enjoy a meal without waste and leave completely satisfied is worth every penny. It’s clear they’ve made the necessary changes to elevate the overall dining experience.

In conclusion, Chillax & Co has truly turned things around. From the impeccable service to the delicious food and inviting atmosphere, my New Year’s Day visit was an absolute delight. I’m thrilled to give them a well-deserved 5-star review, and I can’t wait to return again soon!

xx kellychan360

• 6 months ago * Food: 3.5 Stars Service: 3.5 Stars Ambience: 3 Stars Value: 3 Stars Overall: 3.25 Stars

My recent visit for brunch was a blend of enjoyable and disappointing moments. Initially, Mari, the hostess, created a welcoming atmosphere with her friendly attitude and insightful recommendations from their unique menu, which combines modern and Asian fusion flavors.

I chose the Chicken Waffle. The chicken impressed with its taste and juiciness, contrasting sharply with the dry waffles. However, the Kumquat Lime Berry Soda was a standout, offering a refreshing and thirst-quenching experience.

My partner's dish, the Cheesy Beef Egg Benedict, had mixed results. The eggs were cooked to perfection, yet the dish was overwhelmed by too much sauce. The side salad, with its well-balanced dressing, was a nice touch. The potatoes, similar to my waffles, were disappointingly dry. A further downside was the Americano, which was more akin to weak coffee than a strong, flavorful cup.

We visited on a quiet weekday, finding the ambiance to be serene and welcoming, suitable for both groups and individuals. The place smartly merges cafe vibes with modern diner aesthetics. The seating was comfortable, although the indoor temperature felt a bit cold, exacerbated by the snow outside.

In conclusion, while there were some letdowns, the distinctive menu has intrigued me enough to consider a second visit. I am optimistic that with some improvements, particularly in food consistency could become a favoured brunch destination.

xx...

I’ve been here a few times.

The parking lot for this plaza is small, and took forever to find parking.

On today’s visit, I ordered the gochujang chicken sandwich. It came with fries and a side salad.

The chicken was good, but could have been much, much better. They use the same deep fried chicken in the chicken and waffles on the menu. The gochujang and cheese whiz was directly added on top of the chicken instead of dressed in it which would have made it much better and worthy of the name. This seems lazy on the kitchen.

For $19, you get one piece of chicken in brioche bun with gochujang sauce sprayed on like ketchup, while for the same price you can get 3 pieces of fried chicken and some waffles. The value isn’t the same.

The fries on the side were very disappointing, and very oily that drenched your fingertips every time I grabbed a fry. I had to wipe my fingers every time as evident in the photo and they would leave an oil stain each time. Fries were very soft, wiggly and not crispy at all. To get crispy fries, they need to be dried overnight and double fry to be crispy.

The tiny portion of the salad was also very dry and wilted, it was clear this was an afterthought from a pre bought spring mix box.

For the price paid, it was not very good value at all. Better execution and technique is needed for this particular item. Chillax & Co. can do much better.

Non-spicy eaters should also beware that the batter used in the fried chicken on the menu contains chilly flakes, despite having no mention of it anywhere. The kitchen needs to consider having two different batches of fried chicken, one for the sandwich that’s spicy and one for all other menu items that aren’t spicy.

My dining companion cannot eat spicy food and they thought this was an unpleasant surprise especially as on the menu, it made no mention that the fried chicken would be spicy.

Mixed soda drinks were tasty, albeit heavy on the ice. Definitely refreshing and delicious! I’d love to try their other mixed soda drinks as there were other choices!

Finally, management need to consider implementing a washroom clean up schedule.

There was no hand soap in the men’s washroom. How this goes unnoticed is unacceptable; consider that many patrons use the washroom and cannot cleanly wash their hands. I had to flag a waitstaff down to let them know of this, and I saw them go to the back and asked the kitchen staff where the handsoap refill for the bathrooms were??

Come on, it’s hand soap. I thought about all the patrons walking around with unclean hands while eating. Very...