Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant

The Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant is located in Harbour Centre.  Parking downtown is expensive as always although there is parking in the Harbour Centre complex for a $5 flat rate after 6PM.

The restaurant offers panoramic views of Vancouver with a full rotation every 60 minutes. It's slow enough not to be noticeable but staring out for long periods will definitely make you feel dizzy.  Only the outer ring of tables will rotate so for those who get motion sickness easily, there's a inner ring of tables that won't rotate but don't offer quite as great of a view.

It's too bad it was cloudy but a beautiful scene nonetheless.

Duck Trio ~ ($40.00) - duck breast, duck confit and duck confit risotto in a sour cherry, orange and red wine sauce.  My friend said that it wasn't that great and that the duck skin was too hard and was like eating a shell.

Chicken Tuscana ~ ($35.00) - bacon-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with ham, swiss cheese and sage.  This was rather ordinary. I regret not taking a picture of the stuffing but I'd say that maybe 25% of the chicken had a thin layer of stuffing.  Otherwise, I'm just eating white chicken meat.

Steamed Stuffed BC Wild Salmon Fillet ~ ($36.00) - salmon stuffed with crab meat, baby shrimp and chives in a lemon butter sauce.  My friend said this was only okay.  

Portobello Ravioli ~ ($30.00) - This was their daily vegetarian dish so not a staple on the menu.  Friends who had pasta did say the pasta was good and this dish certainly did look more appetizing than my chicken tuscana...

Braised Lamb Shank ~ ($35.00) - lamb with a red wine reduction with herbs and spices. The  recurring theme seems to be okay food which isn't worth the price.

Overall rating: 6.5/10.  The Top of Vancouver Restaurant seems to be more well known for its scenic views rather than its food.  However, when you consider the fact that the cost to go up the lookout is $15, the cost of the food less the elevator price is reasonable.  Unfortunately, reasonable doesn't also mean we got our good value for our money.  

The service was good but one gripe is the elevator wait.  If you have a party of more than eight, you'll have to split up and the wait times are long.  Due to the wait, the hostess said we could take the service elevator if we don't care about the view.

Top of Vancouver offers an unforgettable view but an easily forgotten meal.  

Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant
555 West Hastings St
604-669-2220

C Restaurant

Highlights

• extremely good service, if not the best I've ever had

Lowlights:

• 3 hours is a little too long for a 7 course meal
• seating is a little crowded
• value isn't there without the groupon

I had a Groupon for the place and had been waiting to try it out.  It's pretty much located under the Granville Street bridge and right along the jogging path.  There's meter parking on the side streets but if you're lucky, there's free 2 hour parking in the lot underneath the bridge.

 We were greeted by the hostess and sat on the upper level and had a view of the chefs making final preparations before service went out.  A ground level seat is definitely recommended to view the waterfront as you won't be able to see it from upstairs.

 Here's the menu for the 6-course tasting menu ($84).  Some of the courses will allow you to switch or add on additional dishes for an extra cost including $110 extra for shaved perigold truffles.

House bread which includes sourdough rye, nori (seaweed) scones and licorice with sea-salted butter on the side.  I liked the nori, but not a big fan of the licorice bread.

Oxtail consomme - I am not a fan of oxtail but this was surprisingly very good.

Notch Hill Beet Salad - a little plain and nothing really spectacular.

Crisp Squid - peppery and salty like the Chinese style fried squid with prosciutto.

Lobster Tagliatte - $12 extra supplement. The lobster was done perfectly.

Seared Bayne Sound Scallops - three scallops on seared pork belly, and very good.  It came with a fried apple slice which was interesting and good.

BC Albacore Tuna - the tuna was perfect but it tasted better when not eaten with the lemon emulsion on the side, which was too sour for my taste.

Petit Fours - pieces of dark chocolate with a caramel drizzle

Lemon Mousse  - refreshing and a great way to end the evening


Overall rating: 7.5/10 - Despite having a Groupon, service was bar none the best I've ever had a restaurant.  I know some places tend to look down on people who present coupons or Entertainment books but C was first  class all the way.  Upon the serving of each course, the servers would take the time to explain each dish which I liked.  During the evening, our scallops came out out of turn before the tuna, and though it didn't bother me, the manager actually came out with the tuna, apologized profusely and even offered to take the lobster add-on off the bill!  Truth be told, I didn't actually view their dinner menu but in regards to the tasting menu, I did not think it would be worth $84 as the food itself was good but not spectacular for the price. I'd definitely come back... just not very often.







C Restaurant
2-1600 Howe Street
604-681-1164

La Rocca

I only came heard of this place when I found that I had an entertainment coupon and checked out their online menu which looked extremely appetizing.  Their site also advertised a great 3 course meal for $23 which included any appetizer, any entree and any dessert so how could one go wrong?  I came in with high expectations.  The restaurant is located on the strip in Commercial with meter parking right outside.

The environment was very quaint and quiet.  There's a TV at the super small bar playing the Canucks game but it was on mute.

We were greeted by the waitress who while very friendly, also gave us the bad news that the 3 course meal advertised online was old and that they just hadn't had time to update their website....  Instead, they offered a $25 set menu of an antipasto appetizer, a veal entree and tiramisu.  Suffice to say, we were not interested in the meal nor impressed with the way the restaurant lures customers in.  Also, the online menu is inaccurate and they do not carry most of the dinner nor dessert items.  

I probably should have went elsewhere given the glut of restaurants nearby but figure I still had the entertainment coupon and I did for for parking so I might as well give it a shot.  

Highlight of the night and probably the only one:  their freshly baked bread is out of this world!  Sometime after giving us the bread, I believe our waitress' shift was over as we never saw her again and instead we were served by another girl who looked like she didn't want to be at work and could care less about anyone.

Penne Pesto Pollo ~ ($15) - grilled chicken in pesto sauce.  If you can spot the chicken in this picture, you have the eyesight of a hawk because I for the life of me could find any pieces of chicken in the dish.  I, for one, am unable to comprehend how the chef can miss such a critical ingredient!?  When I asked the waitress, she actually accused me of not looking hard enough.  I asked her to look around and she refused.  Finally, she said "ok, I'll ask the chef to give you additional chicken!".  I said "No, it's not additional if there wasn't any to begin with and I do not expect to be charged extra for something that should have been there in the first place".  She went back and microwaved a batch of dry chicken cubes and so my meal was totally soured by this experience.

Linguine Frutti de Mare ~ ($16) - assortment of seafood in cream sauce.  Not bad but not outstanding.  It's nothing you can't get elsewhere.  I am a little surprised that they actually included seafood in a seafood linguini as I would have assumed it would be extra.

It should be noted that during dinner time, the only patrons in the restaurant were my guest and I.  At no time during the meal were we checked on nor given water refills.  We probably did not see the waitress for 30 minutes after being served and had to go up to flag her.

It was pretty gutsy of us to even consider dessert but given their offerings on their online menu, we couldn't pass up.  Unfortunately, that menu is also out of date and they only had like 4 generic selections so we passed.  It's funny how when it comes to pay the bill, the waitress acts super nice. Despite the missing chicken and lack of service, nothing was done on her end to appease us as paying customers other than a fake smile.  Obviously, given our dining experience, we tipped her appropriately.

Highlights:

+ extremely good and fresh bread to start

+ they honoured the entertainment book coupon with no issues

Lowlights:

- false advertising with dinner special and menu offerings

- service, or lack thereof

- menu was plain and unspectacular

- missing chicken in a chicken pasta dish followed by microwaved dry chicken cubes

Rating: 2/10 -The only reason it gets a 2 is because the bread was very good.  If you have an entertainment coupon, I'd say save your money.  A lot of things went wrong this night and it was definitely enough for me to dissuade other people from going here.  

La Rocca

1565 Commercial Drive

604-253-1818

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company



Highlights:

• great tasting pizza that tastes healthy
• kitchen view to see the cooks prepare the pizza
• family friendly with a play area for children
• super awesome creme brulee
• use organic ingredients
• support local farmers and are environmentally friendly

Lowlights:

• Take out containers cost a mind-boggling 46 cents!

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company (RMFC) was a place that I had been meaning to try for some time and I just so happened to come across it one rainy afternoon.  You can meter park in front of the restaurant or you can block a block away at the school for free.  The restaurant is located in Kits in between the main streets of Cornwall and 4th which are littered with restaurants but this area has a number of interesting restaurants including this one.

The interior reminds me of walking into a lodge cabin with everything being wooden and a family friendly atmosphere.  It was pretty quiet since it was around 2 but the restaurant does have ample seating.  It's also family friendly as they give kids coloring sheets and even have a miniature wooden kitchen with aprons for kids to play in.  I wish I had a picture of it but I don't think the parents would've approved but it was very cute hearing the kids fight for who's turn it was to cook :)  Above just so happened to be their specials for the day.  We ordered a "soup & more combo" for $13.95 and a "salad & more combo" for $14.95.

Cream of broccoli with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes - this was the soup of the day and it came with some pita bread.  It doesn't look like much but it was a fairly sized bowl.  As for the soup, I thought it was very good.  I believe this would normally be their bowl size which is $6.

Basil and blackberry salad - this was actually my favorite dish and it was so good.  You have organic greens, mushrooms, mangoes and red peppers in a basil and blackberry dressing along with some pita bread. The salad tasted incredibly refreshing and I'd get this next time.  I was torn between this and the honey dijon peppercorn and although I've not tried the latter, I'm sold. I believe this is the regular size which would cost $8.25.

Saloni - cured ham, green peppers, mushrooms and herbs.  Lots of toppings and the crust is pretty good too.  The pizza is about 13 inches so good for a personal size although you'd be hard pressed to finish it all after having your soup or salad.  Depending on where you sit, you can also see them put the pizzas into their huge furnace which is pretty cool.

Flatbread special - not on their regular menu but includes spicy ground beef, mozza and cheddar cheese, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes and herbs.  I liked this one more than the saloni.  Same deal for size as the one above.  The pizzas normally go for $9.95 which all things considered, is more on the pricey side but not unreasonable.  They've also got gluten-free and lactose-free alternatives.  You may want to ask but it cost $4 more and size decreases from a 13" to a 10".

Buttered rum creme brulee ~ ($7.50) - I stand corrected - this was by far my favorite dish and a main reason I'd come back to RMFC.  Perhaps it was just the combination of the creamy rum and the blueberry drizzle on the side that made it taste so yummy and full of flavor.  They don't really have a set dessert menu which changes daily so it's all luck of the draw to get this dish again.

Overall rating: 9/10 - I liked this place a lot - their food, service, atmosphere and their initiatives including supporting local farmers, organic ingredients and being environmentally friendly.  If you're looking for cheap eats pizza, you won't get the value here as their pizzas do cost above average but you get what you pay for.  RMFC isn't the kind of place you'd take someone for a romantic night out but it's great for casual eats, meet-ups and family affairs.  Also, be sure to check in store for details on franchising opportunities as there's only one in Vancouver! =p

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company

1876 West 1st Avenue

Vancouver BC V6J G5

604-730-0321

Trixi's Crepe and Coffeehaus

Highlights:

• owners are a friendly European couple
• good selection of crepes
• fresh ingredients
• punch card towards a free crepe

I came across this place by accident when the Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe was closed on Boxing Day.  I think that they are open pretty much everyday.  We walked in and were greeted by the friendly couple inside.

Inside was pretty quaint and homely, kinda like your every day coffee house actually.  It's a also a nice feeling to be welcomed into a coffee house.

Here's their crepe menu.  I actually had a bit of a tough time deciding on what to order because everything sounds so good which is a bit different from Cafe Crepe which I actually don't like and just stick to what sounds safe.

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Cheese with Roasted Almonds ~ ($8.75)

Mushrooms, Ham and Swiss Cheese~ ($7.75)

Nutella Crepe with Ice Cream ~ (6.50) 

Sweet Cream Cheese, Jam, Coconut and Almonds ~ ($6.50)

Overall rating: 8.5/10 - I thought this was a great little find and the menu is still chock full of other crepes that I'd love to try.  Everything tasted fresh, light yet filling and I was very satisfied.  It's unfortunate that it's nearby the Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe but if you ever want a light meal and don't want to wait in line, there's a great alternative just a block away.

Trixi's Crepe and Coffeehaus

3306 Cambie Street

Vancouver BC V5Z 2W5

604-719-6181

Irashai Grill

Located on Pender between Broughton and Jervis was the Irashai Grill with its ample street parking along Pender at $2.00 for 48 min (I think).  Classifying itself as more of an upscale izakaya place, I was pretty interested in trying it out especially with my trusty groupon. Came on weekday afternoon around 1 and was surprised to see only one other big table in the restaurant.  The host was gone and we had to wait about 2 minutes before he came back and took us to our table.  I believe the place is also Chinese-operated in case you were hoping for authentic Japanese.

The bar and lounge, and the dining area look like two completely different places with the dining area looking very upscale with the dark colors and brown leather chairs while the lounge area looks like a club with all the ceiling lights and round red booths.  There are TVs up in the bar area to appease those want to catch up on their hockey scores.  They were playing L'arc en Ciel in the background which was cool.

Red Tuna Sashimi ~ ($18) - While aesthetically pleasing, you could probably tell that $3.83 for a piece of sashimi probably wasn't worth it but you have to figure you'd know what you're getting yourself into at these places.  However, the tuna was very fresh and tasted great.

Lobster Roll ~ ($23) - 8 fairly sized pieces of sushi with a big lobster tail garnish at the end.  Inside you get the deep fried "lobster", mango, asparagus, tobiko and spicy mayo while shrimp and crab on the top.  They technically gave us scampi which is a variety of lobster but more like a jumbo prawn.  The scampi was overdone and kind of chewy. So after knowing that, I felt that it was a rip-off.

Sky Plate ~ ($14) - This is the more upscale lunch bento box (they had standard ones for $10) and it includes: 2 tiger prawn tempura, 2 vegetable tempura, 2 pieces of tuna sashimi, 1 piece of snapper and sockeye salmon sashimi, chicken teriyaki and your choice of 6 pieces of dynamite/california rolls and miso soup.  The tiger prawns were real, the chicken teriyaki was more like soy chicken without the deep fried goodness, and the dynamite roll was mainly a big chunk of shrimp with spicy mayo.  I wasn't very impressed with this plate.

Matcha Creme Brulee ~ ($5.50) - Good flavor but small quantity.  Nice teardrop plate though.

Overall rating: 6/10 - Irashai Grill has a very nice decor and atmosphere and the service was really good and attentive.  Food was tasty but overpriced and you definitely wouldn't get any value here.  Even though I had a groupon, they had to take a $2.50 administrative fee so that my $40 groupon soon became $35.  $35 might seem like a lot but that amount is already gone in two dishes and you'd still be left starving.  If you'd been keeping track of prices, a $70 lunch for two is pretty steep and I think there are better izakaya places out there where you'd get more bang for your buck. 

Irashai Grill

1368 West Pender Street

Vancouver BC V6E 4S9

604-688-8697