Author Archives: steve

Gringo

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Put this review through the “Mexcian food in Vancouver” filter, because it’s a different scale than, say, Mexican food in Los Angeles.

I like the fun ambiance here, with bright colors and neon. The chairs are more comfortable than they look. It’s nice that they have table service, not just counter service.

Tasty, but smaller than it looks!

The BTO (better than okay) margarita was quite good.

Nachos were also good, factoring in that the cheese is movie theater nacho squirt cheese, not actually melted cheese. But the pickled jalapenos were real, and the addition of pickled red onions was a tasty innovation.

Those pickled onions came on the Wilbur pork butt taco, too, although I would have liked more cilantro, too. That taco was probably the most authentic Mexican food I’ve had in Vancouver. It was served on two traditional small corn tortillas.

Service was friendly and prep was very quick, due to the fact that we were alone on a Friday at lunchtime.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/gringo-vancouver-4

Le Crocodile

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This is such a superb restaurant in every way. The decor is modern yet welcoming, with clever design decisions to keep noise levels reasonable.

From the moment you are greeted you can tell this is going to be a welcoming yet very professional experience.

The menu is modern French in all the best ways, with a focus on flavor and flavor combinations.

My hamachi starter was an exquisite combination of complex flavors in balance, from grapefruit ice to serrano pepper. My companion’s foie gras brulee was also wonderful, and provided us with both an appetizer and a dessert course.

My lamb entree was good, but was overshadowed by the flavorful simplicity of her chicken, incredibly moist and tender.

The small cocktail list belies just how great the mixology here is. The Vesper is one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, and puts all other Vespers to shame as far as complexity and nuance–a great way to start the meal. The Dazed and Confused was a wonderful after-dinner choice.

The wine list is extensive (which rhymes with expensive) but will reward careful perusers with some great choices.

Service could not have been better. A wonderful experience.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/le-crocodile-restaurant-vancouver

Jingle Bao

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This charming and bright (yellow) place serves bao and other Chinese dishes. We had the Combo Platter, which included Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken, Siu Mai, Har Gow, Crystal Mushroom and Veggie Dumplings, Edamame, Seaweed Salad, and Shrimp Crackers, Their 7 signature types of soup dumplings (Classic, Spinach/Cheese, Spicy, Curry, Truffle, Shrimp, Garlic), plus chocolate dessert dumplings.

My favorites were the spicy and curry soup dumplings, but chocolate lovers will go for those dessert dumplings.

We couldn’t finish everything, but the Salt and Pepper Chicken heated up great the next day.

Service was very friendly. Such a large platter took a while to fix, of course, because it was all made to order. That’s why it was great.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/jingle-bao-vancouver

Caviar Bistro

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This lovely spot overlooking the marina offers a varied menu of pastries, coffee drinks, cold drinks, a few sandwiches and wraps, omelets, egg dishes, hummus, baba ganoush, and even pizza. Just about the only thing Caviar Bistro doesn’t offer is… caviar!

The pizza had a nice thin, crisp center with a chewy edge. Hummus was nicely seasoned.

Shout out for the blueberry roibos tea!

Service was friendly and quick. 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/caviar-bistro-vancouver

The Park Pub

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We’ve been looking for a local pub with great food and a friendly ambiance, and I’m delighted to have found this place. Such a great pub food menu it was hard to choose, and then it was impossible to choose a favorite. We had:

Nachos (with no beans). The half-order was huge! They were carefully layered with lots of cheese and jalapenos, and served with generous sides of sour cream and salsa.

Cheese fingers with tomato soup. These were actually four slices of a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, filled with a variety of cheeses that worked well together, melted onto perfectly grilled sourdough.

Yorkshire pudding filled with braised beef. What a creative dish! The beef was so succulent!

Service was friendly, and there are lots of screens for sports fans. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-park-pub-vancouver

Q at the Empress

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This upscale dining restaurant is in a beautiful room, but is open to the often very boisterous bar, which interferes with what otherwise would be an elegant experience.

The menu offers a nice selection of appealing starters, but a somewhat limited selection of entrees.

We visited twice, because there are, frankly, not a lot of fine dining options in Victoria.

Standouts were the Crunchy Leaves (basically a Caesar salad) and the beautifully plated asparagus entree.

Least impressive was the sable fish, a large steamed chunk that was pretty much flavorless.

Service both nights was excellent.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/q-at-the-empress-victoria?osq=Q