28 — Wednesday, November 2, 1988 - North Shore News dining Woe CONQUERING THE KONG | ...noO mean feat at Mr. Munchies MR. MUNCHIES, 180 WEST ESPLANADE, NORTH VAN- COUVER, 980-2405. VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EX- PRESS ACCEPTED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE IF PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE. THE KEY to success in the family dining sweepstakes is to hit the circuit early: be- fore waiters are fully awake, before busfolk have had time to argue over last night's tip pool and before the rest of the dining public have straightened ties and applied eyeliner. Big is also good when consider- ing size of restaurant for family dining destinations. Places like Mr. Munchies, with its solid wood construction, upper and lower floors, low prices and tablecloth-free tables, fit the bill nicely. The restaurant is also amp- ly stocked with highchairs for children and other restless diners. Monsieur Munch is, of course, lodged in the building that once housed the Harvest Eating House. it opened its doors in October 1986, and has been producing an - inflation-fighting burger-meat- : and-potatoes stable of grub ever since. Restaurant management, for example, had area competitors hyperventilating last summer when it slashed the price of certain Munchie appetizers to under $1. The restaurant's menu has been overhauled since my first visit, almost two years ago. Prices have increased slightly (a Basic Bog burger was $4.49 and is now $4.99) and overall menu leg- ibility has been improved with a cleaner design, clearer typeface and less ad agency humor, which was used to burden normally silent menu items with the personae of zany garage sale humorists. Selection has also been simplified, but hamburgers — Bogs to Munchiekins — remain the core menu item. Decor is still basic Harvest House barn. A bold green awning is perhaps the major Munchies contribution to what some might consider a nouveau heritage building. Latticed windows are part of the original design and, as such, pre- sumably off limits to change, but they do little to emphasize what could be a good city harbor view from the restaurant’s south side. And the pervading Harvest House brown makes for an extremely dark interior. Service is friendly. Ours on a re- cent visit was somewhat haphaz- ard — we were not apprised of nightly specials — but it was early (family style) on a Saturday even- ing. Besides, depending on a waiter’s vocal delivery, most nightly specials recitations usually lose a lot in tableside translation. | nor- mally forget 90 per cent of what the waiter has said by the time he dashes off to the next table. In our recent Munchie assault, the family Table Hopping crew tested a pair of Cheese Bogs ($5.69 each), both of which came with good cheese buns, generous stacks of thick-cut fries, which were slightly overcooked, and simple lettuce, tomato and onion toppings. Overall, it was a satis- fying meal for a satisfying price. ut the beast | had trained fong and hard for in the Table Hopping appetite gymnasium was The Burger That Ate Hong Kong ($6.99). Featuring a three-quarter pound cruiser-weight lean beef patty and TIMOTHY s RENSHAW table hopping a kitchen sink selection of topp- ings, the Hong Kong takes 20 minutes to cook, which provides the prospective consumer with ample pre- -dinner workout time for the coming digestive battle. Toppings include mushrooms, onions, cheddar and edam cheeses, bacon, and enough sprouts to feed a family of jackrabbits, YOUR FALL INTO WINTER PACKAGE includes: 2 nights deluxe accommodation @ 2 days Blackcomb lift tickets @ 1 welcoming breakfast at Merlin’s m 2 days’ coaching with Canada’s top instructors we Video analysis of your performance @ Wine and cheese party with a video playback Valid through December 11/88, excluding November 26 and 27 FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS CALL NOW! 669-0560 or 681-6710 PREPARING to tackle a true hamburger beast is Mr. Munchies general manager Steve Common. The Burger That Ate Hong Kong is a true giant in the competitive local hamburger market and a favorite with large local appetites. FONDUES SQ95 per person § By popular demand, for the winter season our FONDUES are back! Chaose from: ~ Beet Fondue Bourguignonne - Chicken Fondue Mexican — Chocolate Fondue with Fruit - Cheese Fondue Reservations recommended. 987-3388 | 3650 Capilano Road (formerly the Hobbit House) NEWS photo Mike Wakefield The whole works, with special Munchies bun, stands a good six inches tall. Merely compressing ° the Kong to chewable dimensions is a challenge, but Kong comba- tants have prevailed in the past. Our waitress said one world- class big meat-eater consumed three Kongs in one sitting. He followed, !'m sure, with the Dessert That Ate Macau, and was then transported to his car ina wheelbarrow. My hat goes off to his porcine prowess. One majer shortcoming of the Kong in its present format, though, is the bun base. Too dainty tc handle the weight and too small to absorb the myriad Kong juices, it virtually disappears after the first bite. 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