Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2017 - WildTale Coastal Grill

It was girl's night last week at WildTale Coastal Grill in Yaletown. The Dine Out Festival menu sounded delicious for $30, so we all went with that. We tried to order one of each dish on the menu so we could try it all.

Organic beets and watercress with toasted almonds, crisp apples, horseradish crème fraîche.

Albacore tuna carpaccio with baby gem citrus salad.

WildTale seafood chowder corn and crab fritter.

7-hour braised Alberta beef short rib celeriac pomme puree, roasted bone marrow jus.

Herb-Crusted wild coho salmon on bay scallop risotto, brown butter caper sauce.

Bittersweet chocolate mousse - no biscotti?

We sat near the kitchen so were able to watch the chefs prepare the food, which was really cool. The food was delicious! The chocolate mousse was suppose to come with a housemade biscotti but we didn't get one and it seemed like none of the desserts coming out of the kitchen had it. Maybe they ran out :( We looked at the regular menu and the dishes sounded yummy, so we all might go back another day!

The Dine Out Vancouver Festival is on for another week, so make sure to make your reservations soon!

Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2015 - The Butcher and Bollock

The Butcher and Bollock was my last restaurant during the festival, and I went with my coworkers. Located downtown on Pender St, they offered an $18 menu that was definitely worth every penny!

Scotch egg - organic egg with pork sausage.

Braised pork belly with sour cream mashed potatoes, spinach and apple cider jus.

Banana and caramel strudel with walnuts and vanilla bean ice cream. They forgot the caramel on mine :(

We had a rather large party and it was definitely a fun place to go for drinks, games and good food. Everyone was so full from the pork belly (all that fat, mmm) that we had trouble finishing the dessert!

Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2015 - Reflect Social Dining

J and I took the family to Reflect at the Hilton in Burnaby. I wasn't even aware that this dining lounge existed, but the $28 menu looked pretty tasty so I thought I would try it out!

A bread basket to start, with flatbread and baguette.

Brome lake duck confit with baby frisee, pickled radish, fingerling potato salad and pommery mustard vinaigrette.

Squash bisque with coconut kaffir lime creme.

Trio of seafood paupiette. It came wrapped up in parchment paper...

And opened to this: tiger prawn, ling cod, salmon with root vegetables

Red deer elk osso bucco with andouille sasauge, atomic baby glazed carrots, wilted kale and cranberry confiture.

White chocolate mango mousse cake with a medley of seasonal pearls.

Peanut butter chocolate crunch with Nutella and raspberry coulis.

This menu was definitely worth the $28 and my whole family thoroughly enjoyed it! (I thought dessert was the best part). Definitely check out Reflect if you're looking for some West Coast fare!

Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2015 - Cork and Fin

With the end of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival coming to an end, I thought I'd share some photos from the restaurants I went to! There was definitely some good food to be had, and I'll be looking for the 2016 festival!

The first restaurant I went to was Cork and Fin. Located in the heart of Gastown just outside the entrance of Blood Alley, this restaurant offers fresh seafood and a quaint little place to dine. For the Dine Out Festival, they offered a 3-courses of savoury dishes, for $28.

Lobster bisque - brandied apples, charred scallions.

Smoked ricotta croquette with spiced tomtato jam, leeks, potato.

Octopus and chorizo, with salsa roja, toasted brioche.

Arctic char with gnocchi and edamame.

Flank steak with confit potato, braised purple cabbage (+$3).

I thought the food was good, though some was a bit burnt. The service was a bit slow, and my friend wasn't satisfied with the portion size so we ended up going to another (two) restaurants for more food and dessert. Cork and Fin might be a good place to go for oysters during their happy hour, where they offer 2-for-1 oysters!

Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2014 - The Oakwood Canadian Bistro

I went out for my second Dine Out Vancouver meal on Friday with C. We chose The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, located on West 4th.

The Oakwood had a very homey feel to it, and we were sitting right next to the fire place, which made it very cozy!

The $28 menu boasted some great dishes and it was very hard for me to choose which ones I wanted! I decided to go for the seafood chowder and it did not disappoint. It was very thick and hearty, just like I like it. C ordered the Waldorf salad and it definitely looked amazing!  

Smoked seafood chowder, cod, clams, bacon lardon, oyster crackers.

Waldorf salad, bacon, grapes, celery, candied walnuts, creme fraiche.

For the main course, I automatically went for the sablefish; it is one of the few fish I like to eat because of the smooth texture. The dish came with two pieces of sablefish ontop of a bed of lentils, shredded pork shoulder and kale. The pork rinds on top were salty, airy and crispy - yum!

Seared sablefish, confit pork shoulder, dupuy lentils, pork rinds, carrot.

C chose the porchetta because she is a fan of spatzle, and the dish looked very appetizing!

Roast porchetta, confit garlic broccolini, dijon spatzle, caramelized onion puree.

Dessert was what I was really looking forward to. The chocolate mousse did not disappoint. Topped with whipped cream and then sprinkled with pistachios and bits of what I think were chocolate, and coffee crunch, the whole dessert was to die for. The chocolate mousse had a hint of coffee flavour in it and it was just delectable!

Chocolate mousse, coffee crunch.

The creme caramel came with an adorable maple leaf shaped shortbread on top of the cranberry gel. C thought it was delicious!

Creme caramel, cranberry gel, shortbread.

Another great Dine Out Vancouver meal! I was certainly impressed with the dishes and I think I will be coming back in the future! Make your reservations at The Oakwood Canadian Bistro now. The Dine Out Vancouver menu is available until February 2, 2014.

Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2014 - Chambar

With the start of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival last Friday, I headed out to my first restaurant this year - Chambar. Much hyped about by my boss, I had very high expectations for this restaurant and it did not disappoint. Located just steps away from the Stadium Skytrain station on Beatty St, Chambar is a small but cozy restaurant and was packed with diners.

Chambar had a $38 menu, with some additional add-on/upgrades being offered that was not listed on their online menu, including foie gras (add $8) and a New York steak (add $10).

J and I both started with the Gamba shrimp with chorizo sausage. (We reminisced about Spain where we had our first giant Gamba shrimp at Carme Ruscalleda).

Gambas et Chorizo - Olive oil poached prawns, grilled chorizo, escabeche vegetables, avocado and peruvian peppers.

I opted for the mussels in white wine while J went for the duck. The mussels came in a large pot, and there were plenty to make a full meal, with a side of crispy fries. The white wine sauce the mussels were cooked in was very flavourful and delicious. Order a side of bread to soak up that sauce!

Moules frites vin blanc - Mussels in white wine, butter, celery and leeks

 

The duck was one of the best I've had. Many places overcook their duck until it's tough and dry but this dish was cooked perfectly and the duck was soft and moist. The sweet berry sauce complimented duck quite well.

Canard aux Marrons - spiked rubbed duck breast, wild berry, chestnut hummus, brussel sprouts and pistachios.

Of course, the best part is always dessert. I went for the chocolate brulee - it was amazing! It was very rich and chocolatey. The lemon ice cream and apricot puree were very sour which went quite well with the sweetness of the brulee.

Chocolat brule - Chocolate espresso torte, apricot puree, pecan brittle, caramelized apple, lemon ice-cream.

J wanted to get something different to she ordered the pannacotta (which I am not a fan of). The presentation was gorgeous and J enjoyed it, but I think if you are a chocolate fan, pick the chocolate brulee instead!

Meli melo de fruits - Coconut raspberry pannacotta, green apple sorbet, macerated pomegranate & Asian pear.

I really enjoyed the food and it was a great start to the Dine Out Vancouver Festival. Their menu was a little pricey, but the service was quite good for how busy it was, and it's definitely worth going for a special occasion! Make your reservations now for Chambar!