C Restaurant

On my parent's anniversary this year, we decided to give the C Restaurant a try. Not that we've never been there for the many years we've been living in Vancouver, but it was just that we were not "wow-ed" the last time we were there many years ago. But after reading all the praises for the restaurant throughout this year, we'd decided to give it another try, hoping we'd be more impressed this time around. Unfortunately, it was again a disappointment.

C Restaurant proud themselves in purchasing directly from farmers and fishermen, rather than suppliers, for their ingredients. This is definitely evident in their fresh, high quality ingredients for their food. Problem, at least for us, lies in the taste of the dishes. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't taste bad, exactly. It was just that there was nothing special about it. There was nothing that screams C Restaurant at you, nothing that you couldn't replicate elsewhere, nothing that you just have to have again.

We ordered a variety of dishes, the taster Scallop Tataki and Salmon Ribs, the appetizer Lobster Bisque, the main course Smoke Duck Breast and Twice Cooked Sable Fish. But, like I said, nothing special. They were good, but not good enough that any particular dish pops up in my head when I think about the restaurant. Dessert though, was a much better experience. The Dark Chocolate Ganache was very rich and tasty. If I could, I would love to just go there for the dessert itself. The portions were also not too big or too small, considering if you have a three course meal.

The thing that I like about C Restaurant is their taster dishes. They're small, bite-sized, so it's wonderful for those who has smaller appetite. They are a little pricy for their size though, ranging from $8-$11 each. Appetizers are also quite pricy, averaging at around $17, and the main courses are mostly just under $40.

One thing about C Restaurant, though, is that they are right in front of the water, so you get a nice view of the Granville Island. It certainly can be quite romantic dining there, and the service is great. From what I've heard from my friend, the wine selection there is also excellent. They also have valet parking at $7, so it doesn't matter if you're on high heels and didn't want to walk from your parking spot, if you're running late and can't find a parking spot, or if you are just too lazy to walk.

All in all, for C Restaurant, I will, unfortunately, have to disagree with the food critics out there that gave them numerous awards. I really don't think they're that good. They are not bad, but for all the hype and the awards they've received, I can only say: At that price, I've had better.

C Restaurant 2-1600 Howe St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.681.1164

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Blue Water Cafe

The Blue Water Cafe is another one of my favorite restaurants in Downtown, Vancouver. Situated in the Yaletown area, where great restaurants and unique shops are abundant, the Blue Water Cafe is a lively seafood restaurant with a fantastic menu and an extensive wine list. If you're not in the mood for a big dinner, but would still like to enjoy some great seafood, the restaurant also has a raw bar serving an excellent selection of oysters, sushi, and sashimi.

I'm a person who really enjoy seafood. Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that as long as it's a fish dish, I'll devour it all. But my favorite type of seafood is by far fresh oysters. I can't stand them cooked, but I can eat dozens of them when they're raw. And that's one of the reasons why I love the Blue Water Cafe. They have a wide selection of oysters, from sweet to salty, from mild to metallic taste, and the servers are very knowledgeable on the menu, and can recommend the types of oysters to order by your taste. The oysters ranges from about $2.75-$4.25 a piece, and obviously, the quality is excellent.

Although a little pricey, their 2 tiered Seafood on Ice platers are also excellent with a variety of fresh fish and shellfish. If you order the 3 tiered plater, you'll also get sushi and Dungeness Crab. And if you ever order Chill Prawns, the restaurant makes a very delicious homemade cocktail sauce.

My dad had the Bouillabaisse when we went there a couple of weeks ago and it was also exceptional. The only thing is, the portion is too small for a main course at $29. One of the more disappointing dishes would be the Organic Fraser Valley Greens salad. For an appetizer at about $15 dollars, neither the taste nor the quality really delivered.

We had the Raspberry Creme Brulee for dessert and it was certainly a very good choice. The creme brulee itself was just right in sweetness, and it's paired with white chocolate gelato and short bread. Definitely very delicious and refreshing.

The restaurant's wine list is huge, almost like a novel, which can be quite intimidating for a beginner like me, but would be great for the wine fanatics. But their wine collection is definitely an excellent one, as they have received multiple awards for their extensive wine list. If you're a novice or beginner like me, just look at the table of contents in the front, flip to the back where the open wines are, and order from there. The wines there wouldn't be overly pricey, but still a decent quality.

I don't believe valet parking is available, but parking are not too difficult to find on Hamilton street. If you really can't find a spot on the street, there is a public parking just a block or two down the road.

So if you like seafood, the Blue Water Cafe is certainly a restaurant you should go to. The restaurant is lively with their open kitchen and raw bar and the fresh seafood is always great quality. Be sure to make a reservation on weekends though, they book up easily.

Blue Water Cafe 1095 Hamilton St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.688.8078

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Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Although I've only been there once, Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar has, quickly, became one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. My dad and I are both foodies, you see. And we've been around town searching for good steaks for a long while. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find one until Gotham.

Their appetizers are around $15, and their entrees range from $30-$55 excluding side dishes, which are about $8 each. We tried 2 different cuts of steaks, the Prime Rib and the Filet, both, of which, were cooked to perfection and the meat itself was of extremely high quality. Not only are there steaks delicious, their other dishes were also excellent. My mother ordered the Calm Chowder, and boy were there a lot of calms in it, and her Garlic Shrimps were also very tasty. And their salad is actually chilled!! This is something you don't usually see outside of USA.

I haven't really had the chance to go through their wine list, and even if I had, I wouldn't really be able to tell if they had a good selection or not, because I rarely order anything by the bottle. But their selection of wine by the glass was good, and the quality was decent.

If there was anything to complain about this restaurant, it would be the service and their desserts. While neither of these two things are bad, they just didn't really live up to my expectations. They seemed a little under staff on the night I went, so it was difficult to locate my server, and it took a while for my glass of wine and my dad's salad to arrive. But their servers were very polite, so that made up for the delay in service a little bit. Now with the dessert, they're good, but not THAT good. With their appetizers and main dishes being so great, I expected to be equally wow-ed by my dessert. Unfortunately, I wasn't.

We went on a weeknight, but the restaurant was still very lively. They also have a patio for those of you who like to sit outside on a warm summer evening. Valet parking is available for about $7 for those of you who are too lazy to walk, but there are also street parking within 1-2 blocks from the restaurant and it will be free from 8 PM onwards. For those of you who are planning big parties, they also have a private room available if you book ahead of time.

If anyone was to ask me for a good steakhouse, it would be Gotham, hands down. Although many would compare the restaurant to Morton's, my family and I believe that Gotham is a MUCH better restaurant. Morton's is usually dead, much more expensive, with inferior meat quality.

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar 615 Seymour St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.605.8282

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