Yolks — Restaurant in Vancouver

A little too crowded and sitting arrangement is too clustered. We waited in line / put our name down for a table for 3 on a Saturday at 11:30am and had a table ready for us at 12:45pm when they called us to let us know we could go in (eventhough according to google maps the wait at that time of the day on a Saturday was supposed to be only about 15mins)! They serve meat here but you can get vegetarian options as well. However, if you are a vegan, it gets a little tricky! For the brunch menu, there's a section where you can have a one egg or two eggs Benny. You choose the toppings you want (additional stuff are charged extra) with the sauce and type of muffin / bread you want as you go down a list to pick the items you want. The thing is if you are vegan, the menu clearly states that the English muffin is vegan, and the mushrooms and hash browns are vegan too but they don't offer any substitutes for the eggs in the Benny on the menu. I asked the waitress what I could do if I wanted a vegan meal and she told me I can get tomatoes (not on the menu) instead of the eggs plus an additional vegan topping. But as the menu here is charged per item that you add to your Benny as you go down a list, the waitress was confused as to how much I would be charged if I didn't want eggs but wanted tomatoes and an additional vegan topping added instead. And the restaurant was extremely busy and she seemed stressed, so I just decided to have eggs that day rather than send her on a wild goose chase figuring out what would cost what which would've most likely resulted in me over paying for a bunch of tomatoes! Overall, the food was good. 2 of us had mimosas, which were too sweet so it seemed they weren't made out of fresh orange juice and the 3rd person had a syrup rosemary champagne drink (I can't remember the name) but she hated it as she claimed it was too sweet: too much syrup that you couldn't taste the champagne at all. I tried it too, and couldn't agree with her more. She ended up suggesting to the waitress in the end for the bar / kitchen to reconsider their recipe for that drink! That friend of mine has been going to Yolks for months now and she absolutely loves it; so based on her recommendation, the 3 of us tried this place for a ladies brunch date. For me though, it was an okay experience. I didn't find the food exceptional or the menu to be vegan friendly so I don't think I'll be back for a...

When we were here a few years ago there was always a lineup out the door, and today there was not only no lineup but pretty quiet inside as well. Now I know why. Here it is.

The food was pretty bad and the service was worse.

Our server I think must have been new. Not new at the restaurant, but I'm guessing new at serving in general, because she was overbearing. What I mean by that is that she tried desperately to please and it ended up being bizarre. I'll tell you how.

We ordered the French toast and were served the pancakes instead which were raw in the middle. The manager standing right by our table was told, and she was literally a foot away from our table, but not a single mention or acknowledgment....as a matter of fact she was just indifferent to the situation and to the server in general. It was interesting to watch actually, because as soon as the manager showed lack of interest, so did the server. Human behaviour.....fascinating!

When I ordered the Florentine Benny, the server asked which side I'd like assuming that it came with a side. It didn't. $1.50 for potatoes. I don't mind paying extra for sides. What I do mind is being taken for a fool. I'll tell you how I was taken for a fool....it's very simple.

"Which side would you like?" - no charge "Would you like a side?" - extra charge. Moving on........

The Florentine Benny with my buck fifty potatoes were probably one of the worst I've had. I asked for medium poached and it was hard. The english muffin....oh the english muffin....that was a monstrosity in its own right. It was beyond soggy...it was so soggy that it was wet (see pic.) It tasted like I was eating a wet sponge, and honestly there was a mini gag reflex at one point. The eggs were cold and the potatoes were too oily for my taste.

Since they got our order wrong, when the cheque arrived I made sure to go over it. This is where it gets a bit bizarre, while I was reading the cheque, I felt this head right by mine and over my shoulder. It was our server reading it with me, and as I turned around she stood back and gave me some space. Odd.

Yeah....no more lineups outside Yolks...

Well, where to begin. Went to Yolks for breakfast with my work colleagues. Menu is clear and plentiful enough to make one second-guess themselves. They have some nice picks and offer consumers the choice or building one’s own breakfast.

The place is cozy and clean. Staff is friendly and helpful. Service is fantastic. When we went, there were enough staff to not have people wait long.

I ordered the chicken and waffles as I’d heard it’s a favourite of many and because it had Jalapeños -spoiler, I like spice!

Coffee is offered regularly and refills kept coming while we waited for our meals, and throughout our meals. Personally, I love led the coffee but I am not a connoisseur so, take my judgement lightly.

When the food arrived, the plate looked a bit sparse. The dish itself consisted of half a waffle, three pieces of breaded, fried chicken and two eggs-Benny covered in bechamel sauce and topped with slices of Jalapeño. On the side and included with the meal is a grilled Roma tomato slice.

When ordering, one is asked how they like their eggs;I asked for semi hard and they were cooked perfectly. You also get to choose if you want a side or add-ons. I chose bacon added to the waffle and a side of fresh fruit.

Taste-wise, the chicken tasted a bit burnt - but wasn’t, the waffle was delicious, as was the bechamel and little kick of Jalapeños. The tomato and the fresh fruit were surprisingly fresh and delicious. Overall, the plate of food was good. Would I order it again? No. I might order another dish.

My colleagues had complaints about taste, amount of food, freshness and lack of heat in the food. My issue is the price.

I know I ordered coffee, the bacon slices ($5) and the fresh fruit ($2). Including the 18% automatically added tip, my meal ended up being $42 - for a single breakfast!

In short, the food is ok, the staff and service fantastic and atmosphere great. The price, not so much. Come for the eggs; bring your credit card,...