onlyforreviewvanSince November 9, 20114 Reviews
(3.4)- Food
(4.3) - Service
(2.8) - Value
(3.5) - Ambiance (3)
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(3.4) (4.3) (2.8) (3.5) (3)Too bad this restaurant does not seem to have its own website; it was rather difficult to expect from this restaurant after reading good reviews online. This review is based on dinner service for two people.
Situated in business/downtown area of Pitt Meadow, it was quite easy to find the place, just off Harris Road, although the street sign says 122 Ave, not 122A Avenue.
Food: One of the best tasting French bistro style food in Greater Vancouver. First you get a complimentary small place of fried wonton and tapanade with a dip. While they are good, I would prefer regular bread service. Next, ceasar salad is served with slightly charred romaine lettuce, light dressing and some really high quality smoked bacon. They have other usual appetizers such as fried coconut prawns, house salad, cold cut platter, lobster bisque.. etc.. The entrees were equally nice, tarragon chicken breast with truffle risotto and vegetarian ravioli. The risotto was truly amazing in terms of texture of the rice and the aroma from truffle oil. The creamy sauce for the ravioli was decadent while being not too heavy. Other options are rib eye steak, chicken pasta, halibut, etc. Desserts are good (definitely above average), but not as good as the salads and entrees, which are 5 stars, It is very typical of small bistros who rarely have a pastry chef, although I am not sure if this place does. The menu seems to change quite frequently.Portions were reasonable, slightly small. Definitely not generous; I would definitely need all appy, entree and dessert to get full. I just wished there was 10~15% more food, couple more bites..
Ambiance: typical bistro setting: dim, simple, inviting, and warm. Can even be romantic if you sit right next to the fireplace. But there seems to be very limited space in the kitchen. Some corners of diningroom and bar area are used as cool and dry storage.
Value: Appetizers range from $8 to $11, entrees $17 to $27, and dessert $8 to $11. A la carte pricing is reasonable, although desserts are a bit aggresively priced. It would be very nice to see a three-course option in $29 to $34 price range, which I see a lot in Vancouver.
This would be a very nice restaurant for Pitt Meadow and Maple Ridge residents. During my visit, I spent $68 (for 1 app, 2 entree, 2 desserts) before taxes and tips. I thought that was a bit expensive, being spoiled by so many great deals in Vancouver due to competition. I can easily get a good quality three course dinner for $29 at a bistro setting in Vancouver. Sounds bad?? But at Firehall Bistro, you get a great quality (instead of good) three course dinner for $35~40 (that's why I wished there was 15% more food). In addition, the restaurant is clean, kitchen is clean, and all cooks and chefs are dressed properly. So pricing-wise, this restaurant sits somewhere between bistro and upcaled/fine dining with great quality food, rightfully and strongly. Will go back. The lunch menu seems to offer better deal.
Ambiance: Feels like a neighbourhood Ramen joint in Japan. Busy, small crowded, noisy. Heck.. It is a Ramen place. What do you expect?? I just expect authenticity and cleanliness. They have both.
Service: They take your order, bring your drinks and food, and cheque when you are all done. Don't ask for substitution, vegetarian broth, or any special option such as wheat-free and allergen-free items. Don't expect them to accommodate any large party than 4 people. Do expect to eat right next to a complete stranger. It is just a Ramen place. It is meant to be that way. Just leave 8~10% tip.
Food: The richest and creamiest, yet the cleanest, broth in Vancouver. Unlike some of other restaurants (for example Kintaro), they are able to control undesirable porky odour in broth and bring out sweetness and richness. All garnishes are done right, except the eggs which are always over-cooked. Portion size is just right, too.
I really like this place because this is one of very few Asian cuisine restaurant with a open kitchen who puts some emphasis on sanitation and cleanliness.
If you are planning to go this restaurant, do their 5 or 7-course tasting menu. It simply provides the best value in Vancouver. Period.
Food: The chef, Hamid, is an award/competition winning chef and amazing person. What he puts on his plates is not just food, but also genuine passion. He utilizes many molecular gastromy techniques, traditional french techniques, and often showcases his Persian root. The menu changes frequently. If you do the 7-course. you will sample some truffles, caviars, and/or foie gra, and fresh local ingredients,. . The bread service is excellent, offering 2~4 different kinds of in-house baked warm bread. In addition, you get 3~5 amuse bouche and may get petit four at the end. All for $75. Now, don't be skeptical of food quality.It is Michelin-star like quality and creativity. Truly, even without the extras (amuse bouch and petit four), it is a great deal. You may not necessarily like every single dish presented to you. This is typical of many tasting menu; there are hits and some misses. Flavour may not be there, but there are passion, effort and care. That's fine with me.
Service: Actually, I wanted to give a 4. Nothing wrong with the service. Friendly and professional. It is just not on a par with food quality and not suitable for multi-course meal. Wine service is average. I had my meal with a wine-paring. There is no explanation on flavor profile of wine served, after showing great enthusiasm on food they serve. They simply transport wine from the bar to your table. In addition, no white linen tablecloth and no crumbing service between courses. This is a huge let-down, because the chef plays with different textures and the table easily gets messy with crumbs and crispy debris. Again, the level of professionalism and friendlyness the servers and managers show deserve 4 or 5 stars, but some details are disappointing, considering you sit there at least 2 hours.
Ambiance: It would be 4-star 5 years ago, but not with all these new restaurants in Vancouver. Not the most trendy or romantic atmosphere.
This review is based on 9 course tasting menu using Groupon deal.
I bought groupons for my friend and myself at $49/coupon (50% discount) for 9 course tasting menu.
Upon arrival, I thought the restaurant had nice ambiance with good lighting, view and open-kitchen. Sadly, we are seated on the second floor with absolutel no view, no decoration, and poor lighting. I was not complaining at this point; at least the area was clean and each table was nicely dressed with a white table cloth.
We ordered cocktails first, and moved on to the tasting menu with a few add-on such as lobster claw, foie gras and etc, because we wanted to try what this restaurant had to offer.
About food. All savory courses (first six) were more than decent (right seasoning, good portion, presentation, and freshness). However, when we got to the last three dessert courses, I could not be more disappointed. Seriously, cucumber sorbet with store-bought picked ginger??? rock-hard thumb-sized chocolate brownies??? macaroon that is no bigger than a quarter in diameter?? Presentation was awful, taste was terrible. Absolutely, pathetic!!!!
Now, service. There are 11 tables (twos and fours) on the second floor. Apprently, they seated all groupon people in the area. What is worse is that there was only ONE server for all 11 tables with one or two bussers helping him occasionally, That is ridiculous. At least the server was a hard-worker, taking orders, pouring water, clearing plates, wine service.. etc..... Guess what happens when you have only one server serving 9-course tasting menu to 11 tables. Extremly slow service. At the end of the dessert courses, we just wanted to get out of the place. It was such an arduous experience.
Normally, I do not complain too much when I use groupon/coupon. But I spent $100+ on add-ons and drinks. After tax and tips, including groupon price, it was $250 for two people. Considering total moeny I spent and food and service I got, it was not totally worth it.
In addition, I cannot see myself spending $95 for the tasting menu even if service were good.
When an upscaled restaurant like C offer groupon deals, there must be something wrong with the restaurant. I learned my lesson.
