My Dine Out Vancouver 2015 Eats Picks

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This 2015 Dine Out Vancouver Festival showcases 277 participating restaurants and it is the largest in its history, there is a challenge to find the best and most creative menu, unique flavours, value and most of all experience. To me Dine Out Vancouver is an experience, it gives the public, you and me a chance to try some new restaurants, it gives us a reason to go outside of our comfort zone and neighborhood to explore, savour and enjoy!

My picks this year are based on the most creative and unique dishes as well as those menus that provide a good value to the diners. Many of the chefs have spent countless hours designing their menus for this years Dine Out Vancouver festival of eating. I have provided you with restaurants and their standout dishes by price fixe categories.

$18 Category

Atithi Indian Cuisine $18

Unique dishes:

Jackfruit biriyani kathi roll.

Railway station Goat curry with cumin potato.

Date palm sugar rice pudding.

Vermicilly with raisins and cashew nuts.

 

Chutney Villa $18

Unique dishes:

Aachi Varuval Cauliflower fried in a crunchy, peppery, rice & lentil batter.

Fish Curry, old style of Tamil Nadu Fish curry with garlic, fenugreek, cumin and coriander, finished with tamarind and topped with eggplant.

Mango Ice Cream Hand chummed, Indian style ice cream, flavored with mangoes.

 

Luke’s Corner Bar + Kitchen $18

Unique dishes:

Butter Nut Squash Soup with Crispy sage, brown butter

Country Fried Chicken with braised greens, sweet potato mash, smoked pepper honey butter

S’more Ice Cream Sandwich ’

 

 

$28 Category

Arms reach bistro $28

Unique dishes:

Spiced Chickpea Puree, Moroccan Dukkah, roasted garlic, grilled pita.

Rocket Spaghetti. Oyster mushrooms, arugula, shallots, butter, truffle essence, Parmesan.

Pudding Chomeur. Ginger & pear ice cream.

 

Bogart’s Bar & Restaurant – Hampton Inn & Suites $28

Unique dishes:

Bison Ribs bacon and apple braised red cabbage and gruyere cheese potato gratin

Chicken Pot Pie house made puff pastry with roasted chicken and vegetable filling

Chocolate Molten Cake with berry coulis & vanilla ice cream

 

Catch 122 Cafe & Bistro $28

Unique dishes:

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup Sweet corn fritters, fine herbs

House-made Ricotta GnocchiRoasted mushrooms, baby root vegetables, mushroom cream

Almond CakeGranny Smith apple compote, salted caramel ice-cream

Lemon ParfaitLemon curd, graham crunch, vanilla cream

 

Chicha Restaurant $28

Unique dishes:

Quinoa Ensalada~Quinoa, mango, and avocado salad; dressed with a Huacatay (Peruvian black mint), Jalepeno and lime vinaigrette and Rocoto Peruvian Chili dressing (v, gf)~

Lomo Saltado~Bavette steak, Kennebec fries, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes stir fried in a rich veal demi sauce (gf)~or/Rocoto Peruvian Chili Pepper braised lamb and Wine Chorizo Fettuccini~black olives, cilantro oil and shaved Parmesan~or/Pan seared Salmon

Spiced Aji Chili Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding~served with a dark rum dulche leche and pisco raspberry sauce~

 

Copper Chimney- Executive Hotel Le Soleil $28

Unique dishes:

Curried Cauliflower Velouté

Lamb Rack (3pc) with Mumbai Chili Saucepotato, kachcumber slaw, sweet chili sauce

Chai Infused Crème Brulee

 

Edible Canada $28

Unique dishes:

Hazelmere parsnip cream, mushroom broth, salsify chips, truffle salt

Black trumpet and barley risotto, grey owl cheese, swiss chard

Cascade Mountain Arctic char, tomato fume, cannelloni beans, collard greens

Chocolate Bread pudding, Canadian rye caramel

Okanagan Apple Tart tatin, Earnest vanilla ice cream

 

Exile Bistro $28

Unique dishes:

Lentil Paté juniper mustard, pickles, crackers (VE, GF opt)

Bison Short Ribs spelt kernels, chaga cream, birch syrup (GF opt)

Fondant cashew, dates, chocolate ganache, black sesame (VE + GF)

Pumpkin Tart almond spelt crust, spiced cashew cream, maple pecan, lingonberry sorbet

 

Forage $28

Unique dishes:

Smoked Sablefish and Chanterelle Mushroom Chowder, tin whistle sabayon, guanciale, bone marrow crouton

Winter Vegetable Biryani, foraged and cultivated mushrooms, quinoa, spelt, lentils, sunchoke raitha, pickled mustard seed

Chocolate Custard, Double Fried French Toast, Spruce Tip Cream

 

Frankie’s Italian Kitchen & Bar $28

Unique dishes:

Arancini sicilian risotto balls with mikuni wild mushrooms, grano padano parmesanand house-made aioli

Jumbo Shrimp Scampi lemon mascarpone cream, garlic, and shallots

 

Graze Restaurant $28

Unique dishes:

Soup – Sunchoke velouté with tarragon pistou and herbed mushrooms.

Eggplant Roulade  – cherry braised eggplant wrapped around smoked sunchoke, walnut and creamed kale, with fig & coffee gastrique, poached figs, roasted squash purée (gluten free)

Warm Gingerbread Cake  – hollowed & filled with spiced coconut cream, house made marmalade, salted caramel, candied ginger.

 

Morocco West $28

Unique dishes:

Wild Salmon Cake Pineapple salsa, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate vinaigrette and balsamic reduction (GF)

Roasted Chermoula Chicken Saffron couscous, carrots, squash and raisin jus

Moroccan Cauli-TaktoukaCauliflower, tomatoes, sweet peppers, chickpeas, olives and potato fondant (V) (GF)

Sweet Rice Bastilla Cinnamon, raisins, almonds and mixed fruit compote (V)

Persimmon CrumbleWith homemade ice cream (V) (GF)

 

Pier 7 Restaurant $28

Unique dishes:

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup cinnamon crème fraiche, herbs

Short Rib Poutinered wine braised short rib, cheese curds

Chai Tea Panna Cottaspiced caramel, citrus fruits

 

Showcase Restaurant & Bar – Marriott Pinnacle Downtown $28

Unique dishes:

Kabucha squash soup, grilled apple, pumpernickel V

Grilled New York strip, fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, porcini foam GF

Gluten free buttermilk gnocchi, sage, pickled shallot, brown butter tomato vinaigrette GF/V

Banoffee Pie, graham crumb, dulce de leche mousse, caramelized bananas

 

 

$38 Category

 

Bambudda $38

Unique dishes:

Albacore tuna tataki, salted plum purée, multiple garnishes

Dark soy and chili Braised tofu, assorted mushrooms, Chinese eggplant

Steamed cheesecake, papaya, walnut

 

Bistro Pastis $38

Unique dishes:

Cauliflower veloute, truffle pastry

Maple butter cake, butterscotch ice cream

 

Black+Blue $38

Unique dishes:

Beer, Bacon & Cheddar Chowder with heirloom carrots, kennebec potato

Black+Blue Jerk Chicken with cheesy grits & collard greens

Chestnut Almond Cake apricot jelly, lime meringue, salted caramel sauce

 

Federico’s Supper Club $38

Unique dishes:

Zuppa di cedano rapa e pera arrostita  Celery root & roasted pear soup, fresh ginger (V) (GF)

Crema di Zucca e Cipolle CaramellatePumpkin & caramelized onion soup, Montassio cheese, sage (V) (GF)

Spaghetti con le nociroasted walnuts, Pecorino Romano, fried sage, chilies, aglio e olio (V)

Panna Cotta al Caffevanilla bean & coffee infused cream pudding (G)

Panpepato sweet cake with assorted nuts, dark chocolate, white wine, black pepper

 

L’Abattoir Restaurant $38

Unique dishes:

Duck ravioli Mushrooms, squash

Milk braised lamb Cabbage and herbs

Yogurt and vanilla pannacotta Honey & thyme granola, butterscotch, apple

 

West Restaurant + Bar $38

Unique dishes:

Parsnip and Vanilla Soup, caramelized onion jam with thyme chantilly

Lightly Smoked Keta Salmon Filet creamy polenta, cauliflower sherry brown buttter vinaigrette

Chocolate Raspberry Parfait vanilla chocolate cookie ice cream

 

For a full list of restaurants and menus, look HERE. Take a look at my EVENT picks for this 2015 festival HERE.

By: Richard Wolak

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