But not every meal feels worth the $50 one spent on it.

Pencil and I went for our second foreign cuisine dinner tonight – B for Brazil, at Prosa Restaurant & Bar in Collingwood. I had been super excited about this meal and went in with high expectations, but the experience was average at best. The seating was squishy (too many tables for the space) which is probably my least favourite thing at a restaurant, keeps me from feeling fully relaxed, and then the table was a tiny bit wonky which was another (mild) distraction. Service was very friendly and efficient and we didn’t have to wait long for anything, which was great, love that, but also we were in and out in less than an hour, which felt a bit rushed/not-quite-grounding somehow.

The Brazilian aspects of the meal were super nice – the beans, the rice, the cheese bread starter, and the guarana soft drink. As a vegetarian, I had the option of a plant based schnitzel or halloumi for protein and I chose halloumi on the lovely waitress’ recommendation (she told me it was widely eaten in Brazil), but it just didn’t hit the spot. The chips and the salad felt like any chips and salad except maybe a bit less good.

This isn’t a negative review, it’s an average review (some things were great some things were meh) so it’s actually probably still a good review, above average, like nothing was bad per se, whereas some things were actually good. But I’m noticing I still feel uncomfortable just sending this very subjective single-experience opinion out into the internet – there’s something in me that just doesn’t like to say uncomplimentary things without a disclaimer. I don’t even have any readers! This space is entirely for me to document my own journey with mouthfuls of ahimsa, lol. But I feel an inner urge to provide some kind of meaningful purpose for the unflattering aspects of my feedback. As a reflection between me and myself, I’m going to say the meal would have felt more worth the $50 if the chips and halloumi were better, and if there were more beans, and if there were fewer tables or just spaced apart more. I don’t know. I don’t need to justify anything lol. It was what it was.

Pencil is tasked with finding us the next spot for our next adventure, in C-country cuisine.