James Avenue Pumphouse

James Avenue Pumphouse

2-109 James Avenue

204-560-5210

office@jamespumphouse.ca

July, 2024

For years (decades), this was the most anticipated space in the city.  People wondered if anything was ever going to become of the vacant pump station.  As the area started to gentrify, I had great hopes that there was finally enough interest in this building to get it publicly assessable again.

When they finally opened a few years ago, it was almost impossible to get in.  We tried for months before eventually getting a seat on the patio on a +34C day.  Now it's settled to a manageable demand level and it’s nice to be able to walk in and find a table.

Through the years, their menu has evolved and I miss some of my favourites that used to be featured.  Among them:

Asian salad on nacho chips

Nachos with super fresh salsa

Fresh and lively herb rice

And one of our absolute favourites to share:

Pizza

No point in mulling over what's not there anymore.  Today, we dove into the BBQ Pork Banh Mi.  This Vietnamese styled sub-samich comes with marinated, grilled pork, spicy mayo, fresh vegetables, cilantro and pickled onions.  The texture of the carrots and the sliced cucumbers complement the crunch of the toasted sub bun nicely.  The tartness of the onion cuts through the richness of the pork barbecue sauce.  I'm normally not a fan of pickled foods but there's just enough to give the flavouring without overwhelming the meal.

The top of the bun is so crispy that it scraped the top of my mouth, leaving that yucky feeling of injured roof of the mouth.  That's entirely my fault for eating it too fast.

While the menu used to be somewhat more eclectic, a definite Asian influence remains.  The Sizzling Chow Mein is one of the Large Plates and it comes literally sizzling hot.

In fact, it's a little too sizzly (hot).  The burst of oil popping from the cast iron plate splattered all over the table.  You can see the greasy coating around the plate and the spots on my knife above the plate.

Because of the abundance of oil, this dish tasted overly fatty.  I know Chinese stir-fry uses a lot of fat but a pool remained after I finished the noodles and I hate to think about how many calories sat on the plate that transferred into my system.

The noodles tasted moist and flavourful on top but the heat of the plate overcooked them slightly on the bottom, where they became too crispy to absorb the lovely sauce.

The vegetables included carrots, mushrooms, celery and red pepper.  There was no shortage of vegetables nor chicken but curiously, they're chopped so small that it's almost impossible to eat with chopsticks.  Even with a fork, I needed the knife to help scoop them as they fell through the tines.  Larger slicing would have been nice.

If you don't want an Asian influence, James makes a perfectly competent Fish + Chips.

The cod tasted wonderfully flaky, cooked perfectly.  The batter came light and fluffy and ready to absorb the rich, but very citric tartar sauce.  The curly fries had a great crunch, augmenting the crispness of the fish very nicely.  The dish came with mushy mint peas and I really don't get it.  I like peas just as they are.  Mushed?  They tasted like baby food.  Add mint?  It's just an odd contrast.

When you're waiting for your food to come, take a look through their observation window at the pump machinery.  

I find it fun to look at, and wonder about how this equipment used to work, all those decades ago.  I don't think they have tours of the facility but I think it would be very informative to have a guide take your through while sipping on a beverage.

I love coming here.  The service has always been super and the food is generally superior.  We've waited a long time for this place to come and I hope it sticks around for a very long time as an anchor in this revitalised neighbourhood.

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As usual, thanks for reading and good food to you!

Ray Yuen, Pit Master / Grill Master
Certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Judge – Badge #97736
Certified Steak Cook-off Association Judge – Badge #7788
Canadian Barbecue Society Member