I have been avoiding Cactus Club for a little while now. I think I overdid it

It’s a great vibe. But one can only eat the food at a particular establishment so much before your taste buds tire of it.

So while the boys are just drinking tonight, I’m sticking with Cranberry and Soda and eating instead. Food is always higher on my priority list than alcohol.

Thai Red Curry with Chicken.

Currently my favorite item on the menu, nicely grilled chicken in a red curry sauce with chili oil, veggies and Jasmine rice on the side.

The whole plate just works really well together. The red curry has a lovely South Asian flavor with a little kick from the peppers and enhanced with the fragrant Jasmine rice. Honestly this is a better red curry than a lot of the Thai restaurants I’ve been in.

London Fog Creme Brulee for dessert.

Flavoured Creme Brulees are not my first choice, most often due to the texture being off from a traditional custard. And it was in this case as well. Not as creamy as it should be.

They fired the top a little too long as well. The custard was too warm in spots underneath. It’s a tricky thing to get right though.

Nevertheless it was Creme Brulee, and it was still good.

One thing I can always count on at Cactus Club is good service. It’s Saturday night, it’s packed in here, and the food came quickly and my drink never sat empty for long.

Cactus Club isn’t the greatest restaurant around, but it’s always consistent.

8/10

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Today we are trying the Szechuan beans.

First bite? Excellent.

But as I ate more and more I enjoyed it less and less.

The flavour was very one note. And by the time I was halfway through my taste buds were bored.

Not the best new menu item this go around.

5/10

The post Cactus Club Cafe appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Tuna Temaki tonight.

Very nice presentation.

But to me the taste doesn’t quite live up to the visuals.

Interestingly I’ve seen a couple reviews online raving about it.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad. It’s actually quite good. However the “wow” factor isn’t there.

For me, I’ll stick with their Prawn Crunch roll.

7/10

Read my review of the Thai Red Curry here

The post Cactus Club Cafe appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

The dish completely missed the mark in both flavor and balance. The teriyaki sauce, which should have been the star, was overly sour and lacked the sweetness and depth that one expects from a well-made teriyaki. It overwhelmed the dish rather than enhancing it.

The bowl itself was poorly constructed. It contained an overwhelming amount of cabbage, making the dish feel cheap and unbalanced. While cabbage can be a great filler, the sheer volume made it seem like the focus was on cutting costs rather than providing a satisfying meal.

Worst of all, the chicken—the highlight of the dish—was practically nonexistent. There were just a few small, dry pieces scattered among the sea of cabbage, making it feel like the protein was an afterthought. A well-executed chicken teriyaki bowl should have tender, flavorful chicken as the centerpiece, but this dish failed to deliver on that promise.

I ended up picking out the meager bits of chicken, leaving behind the unappetizing pile of cabbage, and ultimately sent the dish back unfinished. It’s rare for me to be this disappointed by a meal, but this one left a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons.

This was a truly disappointing effort from Cactus Club Cafe, and I wouldn’t recommend this dish to anyone.

3/10

The post Cactus Club Cafe appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Tonight I am trying the Red Thai Curry.

Pretty dish.

And it’s very good.

It’s chicken (or tofu) in a fragrant Thai red curry with vegetables, jasmine rice, crispy rice, cilantro, Thai basil and chilis.

The best part about this dish to me is the crispy rice. Gives a wonderful texture.

The worst part about this dish is the chicken. Not the quality, but the amount. It’s grilled perfectly. There just isn’t enough of it. If they just added a little bit more this would be perfect.

As it is it’s still very good.

9/10

Update 01/22

Giving it another go to see if I like it as much as the first time.

And I do and I still have the same criticisms.

Please add more chicken.

9/10

Update: 04/03-25

Trying the Red Curry Bowl with extra chicken tonight.

This is the way to have it. Lots of protein!

I highly recommend getting the extra chicken.

10/10

The post Cactus Club Cafe appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Meeting the boys for a little liquid refreshment.

Might as well get a little proper food as well.

They do a really nice prawn crunch roll. I’ve actually come to prefer the Sesame soy wrap over the seaweed found in more traditional Nori.

The soy glaze is a nice accompaniment which is offset nicely by the addition of mango.

Followed that up with a zesty Whiskey sour.

They do make it properly here. Raw egg whites in the mix. Shaken, very well. I like to watch the bartender to see if they’re mixing it long enough to whip those egg whites up properly.

Well as you can see they did.

Cactus rarely disappoints.

Tonight was no exception.

9/10

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Popped in for a quick bite.

Prawn Crunch Roll

Very good tonight, as usual.

The soy glaze and the mango are what really makes this for me. Would I prefer seaweed? Sure. But I’m starting to dig the sesame paper.

Whiskey sour to drink. They make it properly with egg whites!

One of my favorites.

The sour from the lemon up front with a hint of sweetness that lingers on the tongue. All silky smooth from the egg white.

As usual a good experience at Cactus.

8/10

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Beers with the boys tonight.

Gonna need some food too after a hard day work.

Trying the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl for the first time.

I wish I hadn’t.

I have eaten at Cactus a lot, and this is one of those rare occasions that the good was not good.

In fact, this dish is shite.

There is too many sprouts for my taste. Course I hate broccoli, but I can look past that. That’s just me. 

The sauce was rather awful. It was unlike any teriyaki sauce I’ve ever had. Or made.

It’s not a hard sauce to make. It can be as simple as soy and brown sugar. It can be zinged up with garlic and ginger.

The secret to a good teriyaki is the juxtaposition of the sweet and the savory of the two main ingredients.

This sauce had none of that. It was plain and one note.

The chicken itself was good, however there was too little of it.

The cabbage was blah.

Well frankly that’s what I thought about the whole dish.

I couldn’t even finish it. Very disappointing,  considering the usual selection of excellent dishes on offer here.

I will not be ordering this again. I’d also suggest you skip it should you find yourself considering it. Go with the lettuce wraps instead.

4/10

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

I have been here a lot lately.

Good thing the food is good.

Well and a Heineken here is as good as anywhere else.

Butternut squash with prawns. I love how garlicky it is. Love the pine nuts too. Never disappoints.

Chicken lettuce wraps. Best in the city I think. Consistently good for years.

Eggnog cheesecake.

I love eggnog so had to try it. It was good. A little too sweet though. Nice caramel sauce.

I know a lot of people don’tike chain restaurants. But when the food is this good this consistently you can’t go wrong.

Food 8/10

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.

Stopped in to see the boys before Christmas.

Couple beers and dinner.

Spaghetti Portofino.

Sauteed prawns in a lemon lobster butter sauce with corn and fennel chili crumb.

The sauce is really nice. Buttery but not greasy. The fennel crumb adds a nice textural component. The corn adds a hint of sweetness. A nice balance of flavours

I’ve had it a few times now and it’s been a solid dish every time I’ve had it.

A lot of people don’t like Cactus for some reason.

The post Cactus Club appeared first on Gregs Food Blog.