Slight oot but not by much and I wanted to showcase this initiative because I think it's a great idea.
Late January to mid February Vancouver promotes fine and fine-ish dining restaurants to flex their muscles on a budget. Basically they are challenged to put together the best 3 to 5 courses tasting menu they can sell under 100Cad
I intend to visit a few of these establishments and review them over the next few days
Today on the chopping block is Bacchus
The Restaurant: Bacchus is a restaurant I hold dear, located snugly between the Courthouse and Art Gallery it has been a recurring stop for my work lunches for years. The interior is divided in 2 sections, lounge and dining. The lounge is positively decadent with live music and an above average cocktail bar. While the dining area is very standard for fine-ish hotel dining. Sour note the washrooms, inaccessible for the disabled, cramped and badly marked.
The Chef: Chef Hartmann has a Michelin Star from his omonimous restaurant in Germany and several Michelin Guide recommendations in Europe, Canada and the US including at Patina and has been named for Canada Top 10 Chef's twice
The Accolades: Bacchus is notable for
Michelin Reccomendation in 2022-2024
Golden Plate runner up 2019-2020-2023
Top 3 Best Upscale Vancouver 2023 (3rd place)
The Price: 7.5/10
65 for the tasting menu
87 with wine (single glass)
(Before taxes and tip)
In line with the offer, even a bit cheap, but if you let to somm guide you you will go over the 100 dollar cap for the challenge
The Service: 8/10
Precise, elegant and competent. I'm ducking 1 point because I was interrupted mid bite by a waited who trying to take my plate (wait at least till I put my for down) and 1 point for being left to wait a bit at the entrance (with the hotel concierge standing right there). Aside from that perfect.
The Menu: 7.5/10
Bread and Butter: 8/10
Hard to do wrong but hard to do masterfully. Bread and Butter are home made, infused with Italian herbs and delicious, not particularly Daring but we'll executed. I appreciated the restaurant name printed on the butter, a nice touch
Amuse-Bouche: 6.5/10
Peas and Yuzu Arancini
Daring but does not stick the landing. As an Italian it really needed a little more cheese. The flavor combination is playful but goes nowhere. The 3 sad peas on the spoon made no sense. Still a decent bite with a cool idea that would be better in different hands (Kissa Tanto here in Vancouver did Yuzu Arancini better in 2022)
Appetizer: 6.5/10
Duck Liver Terrine, Brioche & Grilled Foie Gras
Delicious Ingredients, masterfully prepared for a dish full of small mistakes.
Quantities where not there, the brioche was simultaneously visually too big on the plate while not being enough for the food served. The Duck Terrined cut in 2 unequal chunks and stacked on top of each other looked sloppy and the confit was confirmed to me to be fig, even though was presented as apple. All the individual parts tasted delicious but did not come together
Entrees: 9/10
Ricotta & Maitake Ravioli in Celery & Scallops Foam (served with Clos du Soleil, Keremeos, BC by the glass)
Excellent. These where truly delicious. I am very exacting when it comes to pasta and this dish beats many 1 and 2 starred restaurants. Ducking 1 point ironically for the quantity. Could easily do with 1 Raviolo less
Dessert:
Schertorte: 8.5/10
Going back to his bag of tricks Chef Hartmann proposes the traditional German dish that won him a Michelin Star (and contributed to 2 more while he was on the team in other restaurants). Unsurprisingly it hits. Unfortunately again quantities fail this dish. Too much overall while serving too little of needed elements. It's delicious on the perfect bite, probably top 10 desserts of my life. But then you are left with another 8-9 mid bites to get trough and the joy rapidly fades. Rarely I've been sad with too much dessert
Overall: 7.5/10
Missed Opportunity. I was already sad that my favorite lunch spot to take clients could not even clinch a Bib for their lunch service but having now experienced their dinner service I get why. Everything was good, excellent at times even, but also nothing mad the extra step to get where I would come back. Stick to the lunch and great lunch menu. Dinner Service under sadly 100 bucks seems a bridge too far
by Groomgdill