food 3/5 (50% of final grade)
generally, the food was the typical savoury, semi-fancy type of placement and taste. the above-average score is awarded to their surprisingly refreshing-yet-filling mexican street corn salad and aztec bowl. the cooked kale that they paired their albacore tune ceviche with was also very yum. the portions were perfect, if not erring on the larger side. unfortunately, they sold out of their potted cheesecake by the time we went, but the other two desserts were at-par at best.
ambiance 3.5/5 (15% of final grade)
the light was awkwardly maroon-tinged and right in that weird zone between romantic-dark and casual-light, but it was really cute how they had candles delicately placed on the tables. the general atmosphere was dimmed and pub-like, but with a tinge of class. the establishment felt clean and comfortable. they also have a patio, which would have been nice, if not for the fact that it was incredibly windy that day. the ambiance in general is great for both dates and small groups.
service 3.5/5 (15% of final grade)
we were promptly served once we arrived, but there was a lady waitress that gave off a very non-reactive vibe, as if she didn't really want to be there but she had to pretend to be friendly. but the main waiter who served my girl trio was a gentleman who was very friendly, and told us when he had to go on break, at which time another gentleman came to introduce himself and happily took our requests. i asked this gentleman about the oil content in the aztec bowl i was eating, and he gave me a rough estimate, but didn't seem completely comfortable with the information he was giving (so product knowledge wasn't the greatest). there were times when we had to request for our water to be filled, which, i think, for a restaurant of that perceived hype should not need to happen. however, the gentlemen were always compliant to our requests, which was nice of them. i wish they could have said goodbye when we left theplaceafter paying though, 'cause it's always awkward waddling out of a quiet foodplaceafter paying without any of the servers acknowledging you.
cost 2.5/5 (10% of final grade)
the three-course dinner was $38 + tax + tip. for their service i gave a 20% tip, which resulted in my dinner costing a little less than $60 in total. perhaps it was because of summerlicious, but i didn't really feel that the quality of the food was especially valuable for the price. after-all, it is downtown, so i could have found something around the same price and slightly higher quality.
other 4/5 (10% of final grade)
i only wanted the potted cheesecake for dessert, so i requested to order the dessert later, so that i could have the time to think about whether to order the chocolate tart or the house ice cream, because our server said that they didn't have anything else. when we were finished with our entrees, the gentleman came over and asked me whether or not i would settle for créme brulée instead, despite it not being on the summerlicious menu. this was a very nice gesture, i felt, especially because i would have definitely settled for one of the other two ultimately if i wasn't given this option. it was truly very considerate of him to check with the kitchen!! the créme brulée ended up being absolutely delicious in that the custard had a tinge of milk tea to its delicate taste. yum!
final grade = 64/100 = 3 stars
tldr: cute place. didn't make too much of an impression though, if not for the créme brulée, but that might just be me, 'cause i love creme brulee.