Clam Bake at House Guest

I went to House Guest for the first time recently for my first Clam Bake.

The first bite to appear were the PMC, Pimento Macaroni and Cheese balls. What kicks this up a notch for me wasn’t the Red Eye Ketchup, but it was what was inside…the Pimento. That addition gave the mac and cheese a new depth, not really spicy, but just added a good amount of heat.

The next bite was their Prawn Guac, served on a blue corn chip. It is one of the best guacamole I’ve had in a long time. Though not a fan of avocado, but I do like guacamole. And if you add shrimp to that, make it bite sized by dolloping it it on the chip, thenyou’ve got a winner. This was rich and creamy, and you could actually taste the sweetness of the prawns. Also, there wasn’t one predominant flavour, such as garlic, chili or lime, rather, everything was well-balanced.

Everyone loves Clam Chowder in a Sourdoug Bowl and I am no exception. But no matter how hard I try, I never actually finish the bowl. The folks at House Guest have taken care of this problem. Check out the soup to bun ratio on these babies. Just a tablespoon of creamy soup in a hollowed out and airy profiterole. It’s hard to stop at just one!

My favourite of the night were the Lobster Rolls. Not really a roll, but not really a sandwich either. You’ve got generous chunks of lobster, with a creamy dressing in a soft chewy bun. The cool temperature of the lobster salad combined very well with the lightly toasted bread. It was still soft enough to bit through, without having to fight through a hard crust.

And if you like tater tots for breakfast, it’s time to add the Crab Tater Tots to your next breakfast. Bits of crab and mashed potato are rolled into a crispy crunchy crust. A bit smaller than the PMC, these are way more addictive! A tarragon remoulade that accompanied the dish and while it was nice, it didn’t seem necessary. I would say that the best bites of the night were the Lobster Roll and the Clam Chowder. If either are on the menu when you go (some menu items change), be sure to try at least one of them. You won’t regret it!

Written By: Grace Cheung (@gracecheung604) www.gracecheung604.com