Although it's a shiny and new restaurant, there's probably no truer "hole-in-the-wall" joint than…read moreJohny's Pork Shack. They've taken over the alley/entrance of what had been Fujiyama and La Cave during my previous life in Halifax.
The menu is small but draws from a few different influences - southern US barbecue, Tex-Mex, and Chinese - with the namesake through line of pork. I had come in thinking that I'd be getting some BBQ, but the Chinese elements of the menu were too tempting, and I went for the bao combo with fries and siu mai.
Since I was dining-in and it was a cool evening, they were so nice and actually let me come around the counter to the seating area in a side room. At the time, it was still painted with Fujiyama's murals and a vibrant yellow, but it made for a quiet spot to wait for, and eat, my food in.
The headline part of the meal, the bao, was more fusion than traditional, but I dug it. The pulled pork came with my choice of one of several sauces, and I liked how the sweetness complimented the meat. Some fresh cucumber, cabbage and carrot added some crunchy contrast. The bao bun was light and fluffy and held everything together well.
Tucked in between the bao and fries, my three siu mai disappeared *very* quickly. Super juicy and tender, they were fantastic on their own, but the side of chili crisp took them to the next level.
The fries were the crispy-coated type, and were an easy win.
At only around $11 plus tax and tip, this felt like a crazy good bang for your buck!
A return visit had me trying what I originally came for - the pork ribs. The combo comes with corn-on-the-cob and some rice, with that Asian influence sneaking in here as well.
While I was waiting for my food, and it wasn't even long, I was kindly brought a couple dumplings to have while I waited. These guys rock!
The ribs had a nice bit of char, and a light glaze on the exterior, but weren't too heavily seasoned or sauced. I don't think they were smoked, but they were wonderfully tender and juicy, and I liked that the pork stood on its own, rather than under a sugary slathering.
I appreciated that the corn had a little bit of char from the grill as well, and while plain rice is a bit underwhelming as a side, I mixed in shredded bits of pork to amp it up.
Johny's may not be what you expect, but it's all for the best as their service and especially their Asian offerings are top notch and more than worthy of your hard-earned dollars.