By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

For the last 3 years, I've been a judge for the Chili Cookoff at the Cascades Casino out in Langley.  As of last year, Sean has been my judging buddy. Before the endless supply of chili ran through our bodies, we got some other food for lunch. We ended up at Shiraz Grill for some Middle-Eastern and Italian food.  
Alas, it doesn't matter who makes your food or what type of fusion is going on, as long as it tastes good. We started with the Spaghetti al Bolognese. A meaty full-flavoured sauce caressed the spaghetti. It had the sweetness of onions, the rich flavour of the slow cooked tomatoes and a noticeable cheesiness. We tried the Linguine alla Pescatore that featured well-prepared seafood including prawns, mussels, squid and baby scallops. The significant amount of black olives ensured there was a salty wine-like finish. The pasta was much more al dente.
Lastly, we had the Soltani Kebob featuring one skewer of sirloin and one skewer of ground lamb.  Other than a few end pieces, the sirloin was fairly moist and sufficiently tender. There was a nice char that help bring out the spices including a background hint of cinnamon. The lamb was juicy and completely spiked with sweet onions. Other than the usual lamb gaminess and spices, the onion aftertaste lingered.  Despite our concerns, the food (both cuisines) was decent and dare we say, tasty? Yes, if we are ever out this way again, we wouldn't mind trying out more items.
Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.

20526 Fraser Highway, Langley, BC

The Good:
• More than adequate portions
• Friendly people
• Decent eats

The Bad:
• On the pricier side
• Cuisine confusion might scare some people