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Tried out Gastropod for Mother's day dinner.
Food: Yum. All of the plates were good, some were great. Sable fish was excellent, along with the pea soup. Scallops and the pheasant appies were delicious and innovative. The beef tenderloin was good but not yet great. Dessert was a hit and can be comparable to desserts at Diva. Loved all of them: the panacotta, almond cake, chocolate cake, and my personal favorite, something they did with rhubarb. Overall, fresh, clean flavors. All plates were presented nicely.
Service: Good service, as expected. However, service dwindled along with longer lulls in between courses as the restaurant got busier. There seemed to be only one experienced server and two helpers? Not sure what service would be like if they had a full house.
Ambiance: Bare minimum but chic. White linens, white walls, clean lines. Minimal decor so all attention can be focused on the food. Some like it, some hate it. Our table of guests were split 50/50 on this one.
Bonus points for the restaurant: everything on the menu is organic, locally sourced and the fish is ocean friendly.
a friend took me here for a bday dinner and i heard real good things about the food here so i came with high expectations.
i ordered the steak that came with a poutine and both tasted fabulous. the steak was cooked medium rare and it turned out tasty and juicy. the steak itself was pretty big (id say 10oz.) so its not like they gave a tiny slab of meat. the poutine tasted great, a little salty but not enough for me to pass it up. my friend ordered the venison and he loved it! he couldnt stop talking about how good it tasted so thats what im going to order to the next time im here.
our service was terrific. waitress knew of the dishes well when we inquired about them and was very polite to us the entire evening. it was not only her that gave us service but the rest of the staff which was pleasant because you would feel like you were always being taken care of.
the prices are not steep and very reasonable for what it worth.. the most expensive entree is just over $30 bucks (the price of the steak) which is excellent compared to many other places.
nice atmosphere.. classy yet casual. the restaurant is decorated well and overall, a very 'comfortable' feeling.
i loved this place. no doubt i will be back here again the in near future. i would recommend for sure!
dined there last week and while the food was good the
service was beyond abysmal. I have never had absent service like that in any restaraunt. I usually get similar service albeit better service at the HON's chain. We were seated by the hostess and then had to ask for menus and then had to ask to place our order and then the wait staff brought the food and then we had to ask for the cheque. No interaction at all from the wait staff as to how the food was or explaining menu options or refilling water or offering dessert. Next time you are in to visit them keep that in mind. We will not be giving them a second chance. We stopped in to FUEL next door afterwards and the staff were warm and friendly even though they had just opened the day before.
On an absolute scale, I would rank the food quality 3-1/2, but considering the prices they charge, I only gave it a 3. Everything was beautifully presented, and tasted good to very good, but nothing was particularly memorable. I had eaten at Earls just a couple of days earlier, and I thought the food flavor at Earls was more memorable, so is the food quality at several other places that I have rated highly in my reviews. There were only 2 tables of guests (including mine) all evening (it was a Tuesday). I don't know if that's a reflection of the value for money this restaurant offers, or a sign of the economic times. Those who have read most of my reviews will know that, to me, the food quality is the most important, and everything else is secondary. For this reason, I probably won't return to this restaurant, but if you have not been there before, it is worth a try.
We finished our dine out Vancouver adventures at Gastropod.
Hubby started out with the Organic greens and I had the sweet onion veloute with smoked sweetbread. Both appetizers were good but not exceptional. My husband felt the salad was actually very basic. We both had the marinated pork shoulder for our main course and it was very good. The pork was nice and tender and there were parts of the pork shoulder that were crisp. It came with fingerling potatoes, spinach and shitake mushrooms.
For dessert I had Mexican hot chocolate with gingersnap pumpkin ice cream sandwich and my husband had chocolate fondant. Both desserts were delicious.
The service was outstanding. Our every need was nicely anticipated. During the dine out Vancouver they imposed a mandatory 15% tip. I do not agree with a mandatory tip. My husband said the tip was well deserved but my feeling is that it should be your discretion how much you are going to tip your server. Our server did mention that the mandatory tip was only applicable during dine out.
The food was good but I do not think I would pay the regular prices for their fixed price menu - $64.50 for 5 courses.
For our first DOV of 2009 we went to Gastropod and had an amazing time. Located in a fantastic location at W 4th near very cool & unique shops, we walked into a warm cozy room & greeted immediately. The restaurant space is small but there is enough space between tables so you don't feel super cramped.
The service was excellent from beginning to end; bread tray filled immediately & our water glasses full all throughout the dinner. Our waitress was exceptional & genuinely friendly without being overpretentious at all. The time between each course was great - no lag time at all. I think Chef Gordon Ramsay would be proud of Gastropod's well timed dinner service. =)
Food - absolutely wonderful and unique. We started with the Sweet Onion Veloute and it was so velvety smooth & delicious. I just wished there was more. The Beef Tartare was divine - interesting textures and a taste like no other. From the interesting sauces to the awesome different tastes of each bite, we really enjoyed the appies. For entrees I went with the Pork shoulder and my hubby had the Beef ragu. Both excellent dishes; good portions and delicious flavours. The pork was cooked perfectly - not dry and not too juicy, but to a point that you could really taste the full flavour of the meat. The hollandaise foam, crushed fingering potatoes & crispy shallots were perfect combinations to a wonderful dish. Even the spinach was fantastic - nice, green & tasty ( I don't think I've ever had such a vibrant green spinach before.) The Beef Ragu was great - the combination of beef, parpadelle, parmesan, roasted veggies and mustard green brought a flavour of home and warmth. We were both pretty full by the end of our entrees, which we didn't think possible given the misleading small size of our neighbours dishes when we first sat down. The portions we received were excellent and we enjoyed every flavour.
To end the meal, we tried the Chocolate Fondant & the spiced hot chocolate. The chocolate fondant should definitely be renamed "A taste of heaven." A melt in your mouth & in your heart experience. It was worth every bite. I just wished I had savoured it for a bit longer. =) The Spiced Hot Chocolate was very interesting - spicy hot chocolate accompanied by a gingersnap pumpkin ice cream sandwich, very tasty!
Overall Gastropod was AWESOME - but go and judge for yourself. I can't wait to go back for more. They offer a regular prix fixe menu that also sounds extremely delicious. =)
I enjoyed my experience at Gastropod.
The food was very good, high quality ingredients and they make a real effort to please.
My amuse was a was a carrot soup with a lavender foam and shallot crisps with vanilla, it was wonderful.
The trio of duck was pretty good, followed by a duck course for me and the beef for my partner.
The meat in my duck dish was cooked perfectly but the sides were lacking.
The beef was delicious and the sides as well, I much better dish.
The portions for the main courses were very small!
A nice dining experience, the food is very nice.
The price is a bit high and I will be able to tell if the place should be chosen over its neighbors when I try them out.
Went to Gastropod for the Dineout event.
We were prompted taken to our table and given our menus.
I order the:
Grilled Salad (clean fresh tasting... I probably should have asked for the oysters, but I needed the roughage :p )
Chicken Medallioins (expertly prepared, taste was clean and simple ie. emphasis on the taste of the taste of the chicken rather than sauces) with fingerling potatoes and greens.
Chocolate Fondant, which is apparently a molten lava cake with a tart fruit sorbet on the side. The cake was exceptional, moist, rich and delicious. Probably the best part of my meal.
Our servers were excellent, courteous, prompt, but inobtrusive.
The room's muted lighting and colors were just right for a small intimate dining experience, they appeal to my preference for minimalist design.
So glad there's an amazing place on West 4th, within short walking distance. I love the room, clean lines, minimal, easy to have a nice dinner and quiet conversation. I love the oyster with shallots and horseradish, simply the best oysters you will ever have! The braised pork belly was melt in your mouth divine. I love the room, I know I've said it but it is so comfortable and the service was wonderful. Cannot wait to return.
The prices are surprisingly low compared to what we're used to but even so, it can't make up for the noise level & overall crowdedness we feel sitting so close to our neighbours. Fortunately, the male server was quite slender (boardering scrawny), so he was able to squeeze btwn tables situated along the wall.
The lamb was underwhelming, while the veggie dish of the day was quite tasty, it was not difficult to achieve such because the abalone mushrooms & large black truffle shavings can't be ruined by much. Found that to be quite a bargain as a matter of fact, w/ their standard 3 course price fix of $42.50 u get to choose an appy, main & dessert from their regular, albeit small, menu. Loved the use of pistachios on the foie gras appetizer served chilled & the pureed sauces were good for trying to fight off the game-yness to the cold foie, but somehow, neither myself nor my dining partner was able to stomach this dish. The tuna mille-feuille was superb tho! That one, I can just keep eating. As for desserts, the chocolate fondant was too bland, not enough cocoa, and too light & disappointing overall. The cheesecake is nicely foamy with a hint of cake blended in the fluffy cheese. Loved the berries that came with it.
I want to say I'd go back & try them again, but as the evening started out, it was quite noisy. As the evening went on, it got even noisier to the point where I had to lean over quite a bit & stay that way in order to converse with my companion. It's just a little too crowded & too noisy for me to enjoy.
Went to Gastropod mid week and came to find out that the restaurant would be closing over the wknd. We felt lucky to have learned this as this was the first time dining experience.
Overall the food was okay, for the six course menu and wine pairings our bill came to roughly $150 per person. Outrageous for what we got. Albiet the food was good I found the value was not there; and judging by the lack of patrons dining it appeard that some have come to this conclusion on their own and that word has spread; perhaps even over dinehere. What I did appreciate was the innovative plating and the talent that showed on our plates by their kitchen staff.
It's too bad this restaurant didn't succeed; but obvious why. It was overly expensive and lacked something, but I dont know what. Good luck to the next place.
Ordered off their Dineout 3 course menu: I had the oyster with horseradish "snow" as starter, followed by the salmon wrapped with tempura-ed nori, and finally the fruit cheesecake.
Oysters: There wasn't enough "snow" on my oysters; they tasted fresh, but I didn't like the wine "gelee". Actually come to think of it, I'm not a fan of raw oysters. If I must slurp one of them I prefer the spicy cocktail sauce or something with a bit more kick (think ceviche seasonings, like lime, cilantro, habanerro, as I find oysters to have a strong taste. It's just my personal preference.
Salmon: Very tender, and seasoned nicely. The nori that encased the salmon was perfectly battered and fried. There was no oily or greasy taste from the deep-frying. The grapefuit cous cous was tart and tangy, and it worked well with the sweetness of the salmon and the freshness and crunch of the sauteed pea-shoots. Very nice combination of tastes, textures and colors.
Cheesecake: The raspberry sorbet was very light and airy. My sense is that the sorbet contained some kind of foaming agent or was over-whipped. The sad little strip of crustless cheesecake - complete with an orphaned broken off piece - rested on a few piddly blueberries. The presentational was lacking sorely missing imagination (and substance).
Overall: The ambiance of the restaurant is lovely. It was warm, cozy and elegantly understated with its muted colors and clean lines; however, for the price and the quality of food presented ($26-$30 price range, I've had better food elsewhere.
PS As for dessert, I would go next door to Fuel!! They had some gorgeous desserts. Like the Tahitian creme brulee with exotic sugared fruit garnishes. Some other chocolate dessert had a wafer inserted to create a sense of height to dazzle the eyes . . . *sigh*, what can I say, a dessert with a little "wow" factor can make an average dinner a good one :)
I loved the colours of the restaurant. One of the few restaurants that I think had perfect lighting, where most restaurants I find are too dark.
Service was very good. Our water was always full. The server also offered extra bread and I saw other tables where bread was topped up without asking.
I added $5 for the duck appetizer and my boyfriend had the oysters. Oysters were fresh and beautifully presented - horseradish snow was a nice touch, did not overpower the oyster. My duck appetizer was well worth my extra $5 - a big duck leg confit on top of cucumber salad and a small bite of liver parfait. I shared half of the confit with my boyfriend - if I had finished it myself I would have been really full.
Our entrees were solid. I had the wild spring salmon - it was perfectly cooked and moist and pink in the centre. I think it was cooked and then wrapped in nori and flash-fried. The bulgur salad is like couscous and citrus went well with it. My boyfriend did not like his pork shoulder as much - more so because he just personally didn't like the texture. I thought it was decent - tender but a bit dry that's all.
Dessert was aweseome! My boyfriend had the Gastropod cheesecake which was a cheesecake without the bottom crust/cookie. I thought it was delicious but it was missing his favourite part which is the crust. I had the sorbet and iced milks - 4 little cups of different flavours - raspberry, clementine, vanilla and dark chocolate. That was fantastic! All rich in flavour! Some tables I saw only got 3 flavours though and I don't know why.
It was a good DOV experience and I would go back again.
The place isn't all bad so don't take this the wrong way:
I don't understand why they named the place "Gastropod" if they were not going to feature at least one dish with the bespoke ingredient. C'mon people, there are univalves all around us waiting to be discovered. Oysters are "bivalves" and do not count.
I was so looking forward to snails, mollusk, or conch. The name misled my appetite, but the menu doesn't disappoint in the end. They just need a more appropriate name.
In the small alcove at the entrance, two awards on display, one for Gold for Best New Fine Dining at the most recent Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, the other for Silver in Best Design. I can see why. I have eaten there twice now and each time the food was great. The last visit I had a chicken dish that was out of this world. I like that all meats are organic and the fish is wild. Lovely little room. Service was a bit slow on one of the nights I was there but just barely. The most reasonably priced fine dining restaurant in Vancouver, imo.
We had an outstanding dinner at Gastropod this week.
We both had the prix fix'd meal:
I started with the foie gras while my dining partner had the mixed greens. They were both outstanding. As my friend said, "every piece had the perfect amount of dressing on it". My foie gras was rare and was ozzing with deliciousness.
We both had the lamb as the main course. Each piece was different from the next, laying on a bead of either lentil, potato, or vegitable. Truthfully: unreal. I know that my explanation isn't doing it justice, but I don't have words that can explain it.
Our desserts were heavenly, to say the leaset.
The service was attentive but not overbearing; what you should get at a fine dining establishment.
In the end: a memorable evening.
My wife and I had dinner here and were impressed. We both had the 3 course chef's menu for $50 plus $25 each for the wine pairing. The vanilla carrot soup was amazing, excellent pork (3 ways), and delightful brioche honey dessert. Wine pairings were good but not outstanding with the food. Service was the biggest let down with little attention paid to our table or needs and wants. A better approach to wine and food pairing is needed and some extra time spent on service.
New, Noisy, Needs lots of improvement! An order of wine is really almost a half order. So incredibly noisy that you either just completely shut up and mope or raise your own voice level just to be heard! Very cramped seating, very slow service--price fixe order took close to 50 minutes for the starter to be brought to the table. long waits in between courses. Very pricey, but servings very sparse. Food uninspired and not very well presented. Minimalist decor? No--just plain!
We tried this new Kits restaurant on a Tuesday night. Its a beautiful restaurant. THe waitress isn't as classy as the ambiance. She belongs in a diner or greasy spoon. SHe could use a few tips from the staff at Le Crocodile! THe food was delicious but luke-warm. We let the wiatress know and she said the method of cooking used (re-heating shrink-wrapped in boiling water) would never get the food hot. When we suggested warmoing the plates she muttered something about the cold weather. I will try it again....but beware of cold lamb and not0-so-classy waitress!
Dineout represents an opportunity to try out new restaurants and so we booked here based on an excellent reputation. We were pleasantly surprised to find this exceeded our expectations in all areas. Paul warned us that each course would get better but he didn't say how much.
Great appetizers, between fresh oysters with horseradish snow and awesome scallops. But the mains really blew our minds, with everything on the plate for a reason and that reason being complementary taste. A great palate, whoever designed the menu. Desserts were unique and very very good. although I was sated after the mains.
Wine pairings were bang on and of course the service exceeded expectations with a friendly attentive staff who really understood the food and knew how to present a meal in such a manner that you were drooling from the description.
Almost tempted to slip over there for a late night snack but they're really busy and rightfully so. Put this on your top 5 restaurants to visit.
| 1. | Maenam (0 m) |  |
| 2. | Blue Star Japanese Bistro (10 m) | |
| 3. | Dae Bak Bon Ga (11 m) |  |
| 4. | Fable (13 m) |  |
| 5. | Indian Fusion (24 m) | |
| 6. | Sejuiced (28 m) | |
| 7. | Bistrot Bistro (32 m) | |
| 8. | Win's Chinese Restaurant (41 m) |  |
| 9. | Jitters Caffe (46 m) | |
| 10. | Las Margaritas (93 m) | |
