DINE OUT - SIP RESTO LOUNGE - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Dine Out Vancouver post #2!

I struggled with this post. I had a great time at this restaurant, my company was great, the service was impeccable, everything was going well, except the food. My last visit at Cardero's left me with a better impression of the Dine Out Vancouver gimmick, but it seems like I'm in for a roller coaster ride.

I understand $18 Dine Out Menus are the cheapest one, I also understand Dine Out means busier nights and pre-made food - but it doesn't mean I'm not expecting quality food. You may say "what you pay is what you get", but the intention of Dine Out Vancouver is to offer a chance for restaurants to showcase their kitchen at a discounted price, in hopes people will return for their regular menu. To me, Dine Out Vancouver is supposed to be a gateway for restaurants to attract potential customers, not drive them away.

AMBIANCE | I have heard about SIP on the radio numerous times. I have always been curious about it, and finally suggested to try it with a girlfriend. SIP is a small restaurant, its partnering restaurant, The Refinery sits upstairs. The restaurant itself is very cramped, we sat in a booth that fits only one butt (haha), I could barely fit my purse next to me. Our coats were hung on a hook to the side of the booth - this irritated me. As you probably guessed, I am an incredibly picky person, I get very paranoid when my coat is hung there as servers walk quickly next to it. I always imagine my coat falling to the floor or somebody spilling something on to it. Its open kitchen 3 meters away from me didn't help my paranoia either.

We had an amazing chance to be served by the owner of the restaurant. We didn't find out until we started chatting and he even offered us a free drink! He is an amazing guy with a great personality, strong management skills and incredible sense of humour. He was definitely the hi-light of our night.

 Food Ordered:

 Tuna Tower - marinated albacore tuna, cool coleslaw, tropical pineapple
Beef Carpaccio - arugula,  garlic aioli, aged parmigianno

Guiness Grilled Chicken - free range, organic chicken, roasted garlic mas, season veggies, guiness gravy

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin - bacon wrapped, apple and caramelized onion filling, roasted garlic, seasonal veggies and strongbow cider pan sauce

Frangelio Chocolate Cake - chocolate ganache, seasonal fruits

FOOD | This was my first time trying an $18 Dine Out Menu, and I probably never will again.

The beef carpaccio is naturally a expensive dish, so for a $18 menu, I wasnt expecting too much.

The tuna was not a tower, nor was it coleslaw, but a mixture immersed in very salty sauces with a cracker on top.

The chicken sounded amazing on the menu but was only flavourful when loaded up in hot sauce (which we asked the server for). I really only enjoyed the mash potatoes. The mashed potatoes were amazing.

The bacon with stuffing  I could not even tell what was stuffed inside, until I looked up the menu again to type up this post. But it tasted quite alright! This dish was perhaps the only one that I enjoyed.

The chocolate cake as expected, was far too sweet. I didn't finish it.

I hate being a harsh critic, but in a nutshell, the food was very mediocre, very disappointing.

The service is a drive for me to come back if my friends decide to pick this restaurant in the future, but I most likely will not be choosing this restaurant myself.

1117 Granville Street
604-687-7474 

DINE OUT - CARDERO'S RESTAURANT - COAL HARBOUR VANCOUVER

It's Dine Out Vancouver again!

Remember in my past years, I am not particularly a fan of the Dine Out events, I think the gimmick is valued more than the quality of food. BUT whatever motivates my friends and I to go out and enjoy fine dining...

I'm in.

I was able to visit a Cardero's on the first day of Dine Out. I have been to Cardero's for the regular lunch and dinner menu before - all visits, so I had an idea of what to expect.

AMBIANCE | Unfortunately, the ambiance was disappointing  I have never been to Cardero's on a full-house Friday night, and I probably will never again. Situated close to the center back of the restaurant, I found Cardero's acoustics dreadful. I was literally yelling at the person next to me to be able to converse, I simply could not hear the person at the end of my table. According to the engineer majors within my friends, the low roof combined with solid wood walls cause sound to bounce back and forth, literally amplifying and echoing everything, creating a mayhem.
I also found it very stuffy and warm inside. I had my coat on the back of my chair, and when I got home, my mother instantly said "you smell like frying oil, you better dry clean that coat!" To save costs, my coat is currently being aired out in the garage haha.

Overall, the interior of Cardero's is very similar to Sandbar (Granville Island) - both consisting of wooden themes and a half open kitchen (I suppose thats why I smelled of oil...) The wood and anchor/nautical details certainly suit the seafood cuisine. Above all, I did thoroughly take pleasure in the casual and fun mood of Cardero's, it is the perfect restaurant for having laughs and drinks, all while enjoying fine dining. Plus, I should not complain about anything that was an amazing waterview.

Food ordered (Party of 6):

Appetizers:

Tomato Bocconcini Salad vine ripened tomatoes, Fior de latte, balsamic reduction and fresh basil

Manhattan Style Clam Chowder finished with dark rum

Wok Squid garlic, chilies and cilantro

Entrees:

Braised Lamb Shank mashed potatoes, market vegetables and red wine demi-glace

Grilled Steelhead Salmon roasted vegetable succotash, brown butter sauce

Dessert:
 Cardero's Chocolate Mousse Cake raspberry coulis, fresh berries

FOOD | Cardero's again, specializes in seafood. This time however, I wanted to try their kitchen and order some land animals. I ordered the Bocconcini Salad, which was average and small (as with most Dine Out menus). I heard the Chowder was decent, though many said that European white clam chowder would've been preferred. Still I regret not ordering the Wok Squids. The squid portion looked small but in my opinion would've been a better deal over a few slices of tomato and vinegar.

Between Lamb, Salmon and Chicken breast, I ordered the lamb. A word of caution, the lamb is very game. The portion looks big, but the lamb shank had a huge bone in the middle, so in reality, the meat portion is very small. Oh, I really enjoyed the mashed potatos (I suppose you cannot really go wrong with mashed potatos...). I tried a touch of the salmon - it was quite juicy, far better than I had expected. Going with the rule of thumb, choose salmon for a light taste, lamb for the meat hearties. That said, if it is your first time to Cardero's, salmon would be the recommended choice since seafood is their specialty.

I almost never enjoy Dine Out desserts. To me, they are almost always a generic, overly sweet cake of some sort. Cardero's surprised me. The seemingly common chocolate mousse cake was perfectly flavoured - not too sweet and not too heavy. I finished my plate in a jiffy!

1583 Coal Harbour Quay 
604-669-7666