Splitz Grill
4242 Main Street
Vancouver, B.C.
V5V 3P9
Phone: 604.875.9711
www.splitzgrill.com
vancouver@splitzgrill.com

Open everyday at 11:30am
Closing times subject to change - for current hours call ahead.

**Stars(out of a possible 4)

I love hamburgers. They are one of my favourite indulgences and I find it hard not to indulge in all of the varieties from time to time. This means from the lowest of fast food “sandwiches” - I don’t know when they stopped being “hamburgers,” or “burgers,” at fast food emporiums, or why - to the loftiest of gourmet creations ala DB Bistro Moderne (though this one is still on my burger agenda). I consider myself, at times, to be a modern day Wimpy.

Recently we were cruising around the Main Street area - an area rapidly becoming a foodist destination - when the Wimpy craving surfaced and, as luck would have it, we remembered Splitz Grill.

A long time Whistler, BC favourite - since 1997 - I have recollections of their hearty hamburgers after a long day on the slopes and have wanted to visit the relatively recent Vancouver location - since January 2008 - for quite some time.

The Splitz Grill menu is split between their “Splitz Classic Burgers”, which includes what you would expect; hamburgers in various sizes alongside a veggie lentil burger, a hot dog, a bavarian smokey and chicken fingers; and what they call “The Wild Side” which is a selection of alternative-to-beef choices like bison, lamb and salmon with a different sausage and chicken fingers. The groupings are a bit odd to me but the menu is simple and easy to figure out. There’s also the sides you expect in the form of fries and onion rings and gravy and the Splitz version of poutine plus a couple of salads.

We were there for classic hamburgers and that’s what we ordered. Two legendary Splitz burgers. A 1/3 pound for my companion and a 2/3 pound for me as I was feeling quite hungry.

At Splitz, like some other hamburger joints, you line up and indicate what you want on your burger so they can customize it for you. Here they have all of the usual items like lettuce, tomato, onions and such as well as some unique Splitz-made items like their homemade Splitz sauce as well as a few extra payment items like aged cheddar or swiss, grilled pancetta bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions.

I like a lot of things on my burger to complement the beef and mingle flavours and textures. I settled on the Splitz garlic mayo, dollop of ketchup and mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, sauerkraut, pickle and the cheddar cheese. We had also chosen combos that included fries and a beverage.

You can see by the pics what the results were like. The 2/3lb burger was substantial. Next time, I will opt for the single patty. This one was, if you can believe it, even too much for me. The beef was flavourful but not overly spiced such that the spice was all you can taste. This was balanced and very nice, although for me, it was overcooked but I do understand this is the local health regulations at work. The bun was fresh and didn’t fall apart too fast. As a quick burger-aside, this is one of my major burger peeves. The bun shouldn’t disintegrate as soon as it gets moist with sauces. It should hold up to this and hold the burger and contents through most, if not all, of the consumption. All the ingredients were fresh and delicious and the flavour meld was just right - I guess particularly considering I customized it.

The fries were fresh cut with some skin on, which I generally like. However, and this is just my personal preference, they were too thick cut for me. I like skinnier fries. They tend to be crispier and not as potatoey. For some reason too, big thick fries seem to go cold faster. I don’t understand why. It doesn’t make a lot of sense but my companion concurred on this point.

Overall the Splitz Grill burger rates high for me, particularly against the competitors in town with similar concepts. I am looking forward to trying a few more combinations as well as taking a walk on “The Wild Side”

I’m not exactly up on my Twilight lore - although I do love most things Vampire - but apparently while the latest film The Twilight Saga: New Moon was shooting here in Vancouver the much publicity hounded star, Robert Pattinson was a frequent diner at Glowbal Grill Restaurant in fashionable Yaletown. His dish of choice was the Kobe Meatballs with Truffled Spaghetti - which, admittedly, sounds delicious. I have been a frequent patron of Glowbal in the past and have been generally very satisfied with the quality of the food.

In honour of tonights grand opening of the Twilight movie and clearly as an excellent reason for some publicity, Glowbal is offering until December 3rd, a 50% discount on Robert’s fave dish when you present your Twilight movie stub.

Complete text of the press release follows:

glowbal grill’s ‘Twilight’ Special

Half-off glowbal’s famous Kobe Meatballs with Truffled Spaghetti.

Vancouver, BC (November 17, 2009): Sink your teeth into this delicious after-dark offer. The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens on Friday, November 20 and glowbal grill is offering fans of the popular Vampire movie series half-off its decadent Kobe Meatballs with Truffled Spaghetti dinner entree* as the superlative sustenance for the suspenseful flick. Popcorn be damned. Stave your hunger like a superstar.

Twilight: New Moon was filmed in and around Vancouver and glowbal quickly became a favourite haunt for the cast filming in the city. Lead actor Robert Pattinson (who portrays Edward Cullen in the Twilight films) chose the happening Yaletown drinking and dining spot to celebrate his 23rd Birthday, much to the delight of swooning female patrons. Robert’s favourite menu item? The Kobe Meatballs with Truffled Spaghetti, of course. Blanketed in creamy tete-de-moine cheese, tomato-garlic confit and delicate truffles, the pasta comes replete with tasty Kobe beef meatballs. This is a dish to love at first bite.

Once word escaped that Robert and the other cast members frequented glowbal, fan mail addressed, “For Robert’s Eyes Only” started pouring in and once a week a tour bus stops in front of glowbal, so that visitors to the city can follow in Robert’s footsteps and experience the restaurant for themselves. Celebrity clientele aside, glowbal is recognized for its high-energy atmosphere, excellent service, and great food. Plan a visit to take advantage of this bewitching special.

*Guests must present their Twilight: New Moon ticket (or ticket stub) to take advantage of the Kobe Meatballs with Truffled Spaghetti 50% discount. The Twilight offer cannot be combined with any other specials or promotions. Valid November 20 - December 3.

glowbal grill is open daily: Monday through Friday from 11:30 am for Lunch. Saturday - Sunday from 10:30 am for Brunch. Dinner available Sunday through Saturday from 5 pm.

Make your reservations online at http://glowbalgroup.com or call 604.602.0835. Text ‘glowbal’ to 82442 for a mobile directory of all the GLOWBAL restaurants and instant links for reservations and special offers. Check out THE GLOWBAL COLLECTION blog for the latest news on all the restaurants at http://blog.glowbalgroup.com/.

The Fish House in Stanley Park (image: www.fishhousestanleypark.com)

The Fish House in Stanley Park
8901 Stanley Park Drive
Vancouver, BC
Toll Free: 1-877-681-7275
Tel: (604) 681-7275
8901
E-mail : info@fishhousestanleypark.com

I’ve always thought of The Fish House in Stanley Park as “one of those tourist destinations”. You know, every city has them - a place in a prominent city landmark destination that doesn’t have to be particularly good because tourists are going to flock there because of the destination. And Stanley Park is definitely a hot tourist destination.

Somehow, I never made the connection between this “tourist” restaurant and chef Karen Barnaby. I don’t know how I missed it - but I did until I started to research this article. Turns out Karen has been executive chef at The Fish House in Stanley Park since 1995. Who knew? I’m sure plenty of people. Karen is one of Vancouver’s great chefs. Back when I was officially plying my own restaurant trade, I remember Karen from The Raintree Restaurant and I remember just how good that restaurant was and the accolades it was receiving at the time.

It was a surprise during the meal, but no surprise now, that the luncheon we recently experienced at The Fish House in Stanley Park was exceptional. My girlfriend and I decided on a Tuesday night that we wanted to go there the next day for lunch and we met in the parking lot on a grey, slightly drizzly day. One thing to note is while there is ample parking in a lot adjacent to the Fish House, it is subject to the Stanley Park parking fees - a bit of a nit for me but not a huge barrier to entry.

The building is beautiful and in such a beautiful setting in the Park and really only a short walk in from English Bay. We had no reservation but were greeted warmly and promptly seated in a lovely booth. The restaurant was moderately busy.

The lunch menu runs the fish and seafood gamut from a wide variety of local items from the ubiquitous salmon and oysters and BC sablefish to some imported exotics like Mahi Mahi and Ahi Tuna, Altantic Lobster, East Coast Scallops and Smoked Alaskan Black Cod. The lunch menu has six Ocean Wise selections and for the non-water creature eaters there’s a Prime Rib burger, Chicken Ciabatta and Tomato Boccancini Penne Pasta.

We settled in and settled on splitting the prepared to order Clam Chowder to start, followed by an order of the steamed Mussels and then I chose the Angel Cakes as a main and my girlfriend chose the Lobster Tails meal.

Clam Chowder at The Fish House in Stanley Park

I love clam chowder, particularly the Boston style white clam chowder. If it’s on the menu at a seafood restaurant, I will generally give it a go. And I have had many a Boston Clam Chowder during my once frequent trips to Boston. Unfortunately, all too often it’s a thick sludge made with too much cream and/or too much flour, potato starch or - gasp, as I’ve had on one occasion - corn starch. I’m sure you’ve come across this kind. Overloaded with potato and your spoon stands up in the middle of it. It’s all gloop and it’s all wrong.

This Clam Chowder was simple and simply delicious. A silky fish broth with just the right amount of cream so that it was still broth but rich and luxurious. The right balance of clams, vegetables and potato with fresh clipped chives on top and perfectly seasoned. As I told our excellent server, my only disappointment was that I was sharing it.

Steamed Mussels at The Fish House in Stanley Park

We mopped up the last drops of the soup with lovely bread and butter that was replenished promptly in time for the Steamed Mussels. These were absolutely fresh, really plump and meaty in a light tomato based broth with hints of cilantro and coconut milk laced with sea asparagus. The mussels themselves were delicious but I found the broth a bit too tomato tangy to lap on on its own. The portion was generous and quite frankly I was nearly filled up before my main even arrived.

Angel Cakes at The Fish House in Stanley Park

The Angel Cakes are a unique combination of angel hair pasta mixed with crab meat and asiago cheese formed into a cake, battered in panko and then deep fried to a crisp golden brown outside and a soft creamy textured centre inside, then dribbled with an ebi mayonnaise. I had been warned by our server that they were rich and this was no understatement. They were very rich, but equally as delicious, served with a fresh wild greens salad drizzled with a light balsamic vinaigrette that offset and sliced through the rich flavour of the cakes very nicely. Delicious.

Lobster Tails at The Fish House in Stanley Park

The Atlantic Lobster Tails ranked amongst the sweetest lobster meat I have ever tasted. Served simply and with a proper clarified butter, they were accompanied by steamed kale, yellow beets and mashed potato. Each of the vegetable items uniquely prepared, seasoned and flavourful on their own.

You’d think it would have been enough but we don’t like to skimp and we both like something a bit sweet, particularly when the meal has been so good that it’s evident the desserts will be too, and, as such we caved on the recommended dessert. Pumpkin Chiffon Cheesecake topped with Poppycock - likely homemade (you may be familiar with this popcorn, caramel and nut treat) and a sprig of fresh mint. The cheesecake was in between that whipped light style and the heavier New York creamy style. It was, like very other item of the afternoon, bloody delicious.

The Fish House in Stanley Park has started me on the road to a whole new attitude towards those seemingly “tourist” destinations. I can’t wait for another opportunity to return there! Thanks Karen!

Thanks!

Doran

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Pho Tan Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup and Bubble Tea Restaurant
2076 W. 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6M 1Y8
604.606.0688
Open 7 Days 10:30am - 9:30pm
**2Stars (our of a possible 4)

Is Pho Tan Kerrisdale a new contender in the ongoing Pho battle? How does it stack up?

A lot has been written about Pho on eatvancouver and loyal readers will have followed thoroughly the great “Pho-Down” saga, the journey, the winners and the losers. I too am a Pho fan along with all the other tasty Vietnamese dishes and, as such, will be continuing to add to the Pho knowledge we have on the site.

To remain consistent I have revived the original eatvancouver rating system for this Pho excursion and will be applying it to others going forward. Basing our Pho evaluation on scores out of 10 across the following categories:

• Broth
• Beef
• Noodle
• Condiment
• Service/Atmosphere
• Quality per $

The last category is more difficult to rank with the previous results as it is based on the price points from when that study was completed and therefore is not accurate when compared with current pricing. So, this will not be considered in this comparison but will be going forward.

All other items are based on our usual more subjective but no less vigorous scrutiny informed by our collectively experience.

A Contender?

Recently, we’ve discovered a new contender in the Pho battle - actually not entirely new but an offspring of a previous contender. Pho Tan Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup and Bubble Tea Restaurant on 41st in Kerrisdale is the brother restaurant of Pho Tan on Main Street. I say brother because quite literally this location was started by, and is run by, the brother of the sister that runs the Main street restaurant. He explained to me recently that the Kerrisdale location was started with a more limited menu to test the neighborhood but that business is booming.

Being around the corner from my girlfriends place, we have eaten there a number of times and, on the whole, you are about to read a favorable review.

First, the Pho.

There’s nothing particularly unique about the Pho at Pho Tan. It’s what you would expect to find. And, it’s completely consistent. The broth is flavourful but not overly aromatic or perfumed as some broths can be. It’s not too salty and doesn’t have that too-much-MSG aftertaste. It ranks high on our list but not at the top. There isn’t as much depth of flavour as I would like to find. But, as I said, it’s consistent and tasty.

The noodle to beef ratio is a bit off but not overly so. I like a little better balance where it definitely feels like you’re eating a noodleful soup with some meat rather than a nice hearty soup with both. I realize this is a bit of a nit, but it’s worth mentioning as in comparison the experience is different across Pho restaurants in general and it also speaks to the overall value.

On the condiments front, the herbs and sprouts are always fresh, the lime and pepper too, and abundant enough.

As a family run business the atmosphere is warm and welcoming though sometimes the speed and attentiveness suffer a tad. But in such a small place this is always overcome by simply calling out for whatever you need and it’s taken care of with a smile.

Other Items

Bun Nem Cha Gio

We have also tried a host of other items, more than once, including the Pho Bo Satay (beef) and Pho Ga Satay (chicken)- which were fully flavoured and even better than the standard Pho as well as Com Suon (porkchop on rice), Bun Nem Cha Gio, (springroll and minced pork on vermicelli) and Bun Ga Cha Gio. (spring roll and chicken on vermicelli). We’ve also availed ourselves of the selection of Banh Mi (Vietnamese Subs) and these have been delicious on fresh bread and well prepared. All have been consistently tasty and on par with other Vietnamese restaurants with similar offerings. Again, not overly unique, but good, fresh with nicely pickled garnish. The only exception was a recent encounter with the Com Suan where the porkchop was overcooked and thus rather dry and chewy. I’ve no doubt that it would have been corrected had my partner complained to me about it earlier. But we were in a rush and you all know how that can be.

Com Suon

Lastly, I should mention that Pho Tan Kerrisdale makes a decent Bubble Tea too with all the expected fresh and powdered flavours and yummy additives. They’re well trafficked on that front by a parade of youth from the nearby high-school as well as bubble tea fanciers of all ages, shapes and sizes in the community.

Overall on the Pho scale, after tabulating the score against the previous contenders, Pho Tan in Kerrisdale comes up third in the pack of 14.

If you’re in the neighborhood and feeling Pho-ish, you should give them a try.

Hello Readers and Contributors!

It’s nearly time again for one of the premier foodie events in the region so I am passing along the details to you. I confess I have never attended this event (yet), mainly due to scheduling issues, but my predecessor is/was a great fan! I am hoping to make an appearance this year but if you go drop in and post your thoughts here. If anyone wants to submit a review of the event we will be happy to consider it for proper publication too!

Here’s the deets:

PLENTY OF WINE AND FOOD TO CELEBRATE AT WHISTLER’S 12TH CORNUCOPIA!
Whistler’s trademark horn of plenty is set to overflow this November 12-15th, with more than fifty tastings, seminars, and parties scheduled to showcase the diversity of the resort’s epicurean scene as well as its nous for throwing a world-class party.

Tickets and packages
Great accommodation AND Crush ticket packages!

3 Peak accommodation: from $170
4 Peak accommodation: from $201
5 Peak accommodation: from $214

Now available at www.whistlercornucopia.com alongside details of the four day event program. Make sure you get your tickets early, especially for Cornucopia’s annual sell-out events!

Package price based on a 2 night stay for 2 people with 2 Crush only tickets for Friday, November 13th or Saturday, November 14th, 2009.

House Party - Best of BC opens Cornucopia Thursday, November 12th, 2009 5pm – 8pm
In 2009 we’re kicking off the festival in true BC style and flair at the ultimate “House Party”. Wine and dine the best that BC has to offer in gourmet BBQ, microbrewery beer, locally produced wine and even home grown vodka! Cornucopia is putting the “house” back in house party and welcoming festival attendees come on over and enjoy delights offered by our “city”, our “backyard”, our “house”.

Trademark Events
Tickets are in high demand for Winemaker’s Dinners, After Parties (tickets coming soon), and the two CRUSH Grand Gala Tastings. Offered both Friday November 13th and Saturday November 14th, to accommodate popular demand, the CRUSH experience for 2008 will feature 75 wineries showcasing regional and international flavour bringing the focus back to a wine tasting gala. After a successful launch last year the opportunity to prepare the palate at one of Whistler’s fine restaurants with a selection of packaged set menus on offer with a Crush ticket returns, stay tuned for menus coming soon!

Something for everyone
Swirl, sniff, sip and savour a selection of vintages at various tasting events, make the scene at fabulous after-parties, brunches and buffets, or brush up on your wine expertise with seminars geared from the refined palate to the rookie.

Cornucopia brings Whistler to life - a feast of food and wine festivities – all conveniently located in the resort’s pedestrian-friendly village. See FULL SCHEDULE.

View Larger Map

Given my dual interests in food and sustainability, I thought this looked interesting and worth passing along from Raincity Grill.

Raincity Grill is forging further on their path of sustainability. Building on the success of their many farm to table initiatives, chef de cuisine Peter Robertson has created a new series of culinary events that promise to be the ultimate in “foodie meets farmer” dining. The series is called Market Mondays and aims to bring local farmers and their products closer to Raincity’s table and Vancouver diners. “Chefs and restaurants can play an important role in strengthening communities by building relationships that connect locals to surrounding farms,” says Robertson.

Held on the last Monday of every month, Market Mondays allow diners to enjoy a 4-course meal complete with wine pairings and a bit of “food entertainment” from Executive Chef Robert Clark and the local farmer or fisherman being featured. It functions like a wine maker’s dinner only rather than being guided through the grapes guests are led through a true foodie feast.

The next Market Monday is being held on Monday, September 28, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. and features Jordan Sturdy from North Arm Farms (www.northarmfarms.com). Sturdy, who also happens to be the mayor of Pemberton B.C., runs a 60-acre, organic farm that supplies Raincity with a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

Market Monday is $65 per person (including wine) and reservations can be made by calling 604-685-7337.

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
1535 Johnston Street, Granville Island
Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R9
T: 604.669.9030
F: 604.669.9033

*1 Star (out of a possible 4)

Looking For Brunch In All The Wrong Places

It’s not easy finding a good traditional style brunch spot. Sure, there are lots of restaurants open between 11 and 2 on the weekends. They say they have brunch because of the time-slot but they don’t have a traditional brunch menu. On a recent outing of the brunch crew it took 3 times before we could locate a restaurant with a proper brunch. At least we thought we had located one.

The first attempt was at Monk McQueens on the southern shore of False Creek where they claimed on the phone to have Sunday Brunch and, while there is no specific menu for brunch on their website, they do advertise on the homepage that valet parking is free at brunch. Ergo they must have brunch. When we arrived at Monks we discovered, after sitting down, that a Monks brunch means the regular, all day, menu on a weekend with a couple of brunch-style items: of course, the ubiquitous Eggs Benedict and a Frittata. We were disappointed. While most of us are generally adverse to leaving a restaurant once seated, we felt like we had been somewhat misled and a quick conversation around the table led to the consensus that we should attempt to go elsewhere. Since we were close to Granville Island and we thought that of anywhere in town, GI should have a brunch spot given it’s tourism leadership, we decided to quickly head over there and try our luck for brunch at the generally consistent Bridges restaurant.

Since I was on my scooter, I arrived first and popped immediately into Bridges to secure a good spot only to discover they don’t have a brunch. Yes, I know, I was dumbstruck as well.

Finally, A Contender

When the rest of the posse arrived we stood for a moment slightly in shock and determined that the next contender was The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant. Located mid-island right under the Granville Street Bridge in the same location that what was for a long time the historic - and missed - Mulvaney’s Bar and Restaurant, it affords lovely urban views of False Creek and Yaletown and we thought for sure they would have an equally as lovely brunch. We ambled over to the restaurant and found ourselves a few minutes before opening but a quick inquiry with the host revealed that The Sandbar did indeed serve brunch. Hallelulah! By this time we were getting a bit fed up and hungry and this was promising news.

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant is part of the Sequoia Company’s group of restaurants that include Cardero’s, The Teahouse in Stanley Park, and Season’s In The Park. All of these are classic Vancouver tourist destination restaurants and as such we expected the full Vancouver treatment that would impress us in the way any visitor to our beautiful city would expect to be impressed in a top tourist location venue.

How You Start Is How You Finish

Ten minutes later we were being led up to the patio bar to two tables of two pulled together that would ordinarily accommodate four but that had been fitted to accommodate our group of five. Ordinarily, in a busy restaurant we would take what we could get but we were the first ones in the room and there certainly wasn’t any line-up behind us. There was another deuce right next to our table and we inquired immediately with the seater and the waiter if we could pull it over to give us the room we needed. We were told that we could not and that every seat was spoken for as they were going to get very busy right away.

I understand the desire to fill every seat but I don’t understand it at the expense of customer comfort and satisfaction. Particularly in a large restaurant when there clearly isn’t any immediate pressing requirement.  In fact, the table for two that we were denied didn’t fill for 40 minutes from the time we arrived. I timed it purposely to see. To me that is simply greed and arrogance. But we had no choice - other than to leave again -  and so hungry, we were left to squeeze ourselves into the supplied spot.

It was the start of a string of disappointments punctuated by the substandard food.

The first thing I noticed about the patio was that it was cozy with a nice view. The second thing I noticed were the astounding number of flies that seemed to be everywhere when you looked up. It was as though a light fog of flies was buzzing above us and I found it disgusting and detracting. I realize a patio is technically outdoors but this seemed excessive to me and I could not figure out why there were so many.

Our waiter was always pleasant but simply not very competent. It started with each coffee cup being filled to a strangely different level. I know this sounds picky but it was weird and everyone in our group commented on it. Due to the tight quarters of the table there wasn’t enough space for all the water and coffee and drinks and side plates and the waiter was forever slightly spilling things as he worked.

I ordered a spicy Bloody Caesar to start my taste buds tingling plus, being hungry, I knew it would come with some garnish I could eat immediately. In this restaurant it was supposed to have a marinated bean - these are usually delicious. When the drinks arrived and spillingly placed on the table, mine was minus said bean. No problem. The waiter said he would get one right way. Ok. We were literally 5 steps from the bar so I waited. And waited. And waited. He went off somewhere, came back, took the order for the table behind us, punched it in and then finally remembered to bring my bean. Why? Why? It wasn’t busy yet. I simply don’t understand this kind of service. This same ridiculousness was repeated when we asked for a straw. Why?

And On To The Food

Again, we had been misled about brunch. There was only a couple of brunch items - unsurprisingly 2 styles of Eggs Benedict, one with seafood and the other classic, and a chicken and chorizo hash with an egg - otherwise it was a regular lunch menu. We’d had enough of moving around by then and decided to stay and eat. This was a mistake.

Out of all the dishes only the $11.95 Panfried Oysters with chili lime aioli passed any kind of muster. The oysters were nicely prepared - as you would expect in a seafood restaurant - properly fried with a dollop of aioli and spoonful of tobiko.

The $10.95 West Coast Crabcakes were oddly tasteless with too much aioli - I guess to compensate for the lack of flavour. The $4.25 Homemade Clam Chowder was pasty, lukewarm and under-seasoned. It also arrived only partially filled as you can see in the image.

Both the $14.95 Island Seafood Club and the $13.95 Sandbar Benny came with the same oddly lukewarm shrimp and crab filling. Unfortunately it too was completely and utterly without taste. I am not sure how it was assembled but it was as if all the flavour had been boiled out of it. The hollandaise on the Benny also tasted peculiar. Not housemade. And had there been any flavour to the seafood it would have been mismatched . The bacon on the Club had clearly been cooked much earlier and allowed to dry out in a holding bin and when the sandwich was assembled one half didn’t have any bacon on it. This was the first half that I started with and I was going to complain to the waiter until I discovered that it had all been crammed on the other side. Nor was there more than a whisper of guacomole as advertised. And they call this sandwich a signature dish on the menu. It was just another example of the appalling lack of standards at this restaurant. You can see by the images that the roasted potatoes were grossly overcooked and subsequently inedible. And, on each dish some element of the fruit garnish wasn’t fresh.

The $13.95 Oyster Poor Boy was passable if unimaginative, as it was a duplication of the panfried oyster dish on a bun.

And, the regular $11.95 Eggs Benny suffered from the same strange hollandaise flavour and the astoundingly over cooked potatoes.

The Unfortunate Conclusion

Maybe it’s because this is primarily a tourist restaurant but it wasn’t anywhere near close to being good value for money. We were misled about brunch, we were unapologetically crammed into a tiny table in a fly infested room, the service was poor and food was well below average.  To me, a restaurant in this location, of this calibre should be representing to our valuable tourists the best of what Vancouver has to offer instead of the worst.

We won’t be rushing back to The Sandbar for any meal anytime soon.

Market by Jean-Georges
1115 Alberni Street -Level 3, in The Shangri-La Hotel
Lunch:
 Weekdays 11.30am-2.30pm
Dinner: 
Mondays to Saturdays 5.30pm–10.30pm
Cafe/Terrace:
 Weekdays 11.30am-11.30pm.
 Saturdays 4.30pm-11.30pm
Bar:
 Weekdays 11.30am-midnight. 
Saturdays 4.30pm-midnight

Valet Parking
Secured underground parking available at 1137 Alberni, between Urban Fare and Coastal Church.
Dress Code: Business casual
Smoking Policy: Smoking is not permitted inside the restaurant or on the seasonal outdoor terrace.

****4 Stars - Superlative. (out of a possible 4)

Recently my partner had her family in town from Taiwan and they are a group of jet-set sophisticated diners.  I surprised them one evening by making our culinary destination - a first time visit for me - Market by Jean-George in the new Shangri-La Hotel. As it turned out our dining companions had made numerous excursions to other Jean-Georges locations and they had mostly favourable but somewhat mixed reviews. They were not happy with a recent visit to the Hong Kong location but they were on their way to New York next and were planning a visit to one of the nine New York locations - the one known simply as Jean-Georges, and in fact, during our dinner had the Vancouver location arrange the reservation. They were delighted at this choice for our meal in Vancouver but I had some trepidation after hearing their comments.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a celebrated 3 Michelin star chef and this recent Vancouver location is just the latest in a long string of international venues that bear his stamp and style. Born and raised in the Alsace region in France, JG honed his culinary skills apprenticing under such multi-Michelin star masters as Paul Haeberlin,  Paul Bocuse and master-chef  Louis Outhier of L’Oasis in the south of France. But it was the influence of Asia developed through positions at The Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, The Meridien Hotel in Singapore and The Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong where JG developed his signature ‘vibrant cuisine’ that eschews traditional meat stocks  in favour of flavour intensity and textures derived from the use of vegetable juices and fruit essences, light broths and herbal vinaigrettes.

All of these were on display in our recent meal.

The first thing to note is that the Market dining room is a beautiful venue. My poor iphone photos don’t capture in any way the ambience. It’s elegant and airy yet still felt intimate at the table. And, while the sun streamed into the room and then subsided through sunset there was never that sun-in-your-face feeling and the transition from light to dusk to dark was seamlessly accommodated by drapery and lighting changes that just seemed to happen. It’s actually only thinking back on it that I am aware of the changing ambience and how lovely it was accommodated by the design of the room and the process in the restaurant.

After a glass of wine and a brief perusal of the menu we all decided to opt for the variety of the tasting menu called the ‘Market Menu‘ as follows:

-Rice Cracker Crusted Tuna, Citrus - Sriracha Emulsion
-Foie Gras Brule, Meyer Lemon - Pineapple Jam and Rose Seasoning
-Crispy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Passion Mustard and Avocado
-Roasted Red Snapper, Sesame Vinaigrette, Radishes and Fresh Ginger
-Barbeque Lamb Chops, Potato Puree, Spring Peas and Mint
-Dessert

One of our party had an aversion to lamb and we inquired about the possibility of substituting a portion of the Lobster, Potato Gnocchi, Smoked Butter, Lemon item from the main menu and after a brief inquiry to the kitchen it was settled favorably and easily accommodated.

From this point on our experience at Market was simply lovely. We were a busy, chattering and jovially happy group and the service flowed around us in a non-interruptive but efficient manner, with all of our needs anticipated from wine, to water to bread, and butter to cutlery to cleaning. It was all as it should be in an establishment of this caliber and it was executed well.

And the food was, at every course, delicious.

My particular favorite - actually I think at this point going forward I would call it an obsession, as I simply must have it again - and hopefully again and again - was the Foie Gras Brule with Meyer Lemon - Pineapple Jam and Rose Seasoning. This exquisite item was so clever and so succulent and melt-in-your-mouth that I am sure the moaning of my culinary satisfaction was being misinterpreted by other diners.

This is not to detract from the other items. The tuna was seared perfectly and the contrasting textures combined beautifully with the tart tang of the sriracha. The shrimp and avocado while somewhat unimaginative was fresh and light with the shrimp texture popping in your mouth while the creaminess of the avocado embraced it.

The snapper was also light and fresh and the fish was perfectly cooked - and we all know how I feel about overcooked fish. The highlight of the mains was the Lamb. Succulent with the light bbq sauce expertly applied and the contrast of the mint and peas worked magically. Every item was seasoned beautifully with the flavour balance just right. Finally, the light dessert item, again not too fancy or imaginative was still delicious with fresh strawberries and cream and a light biscuit.

I like to eat and I like to eat a lot and have often found that a tasting menu just doesn’t satisfy me from a portion perspective but when we were through, I was fully sated.

I would highly recommend an evening at Market by Jean-Georges. Contrary to what you might expect from a celebrity chef’s restaurant in a 5 star hotel, the prices are quite reasonable and competitive and the experience is wonderful.