Dine Out Vancouver (Part 1)

For those who are not aware of what this is about, more info here: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/dining/dineout.php

Basically, many restaurants in the Vancouver area offer $15, $15, or $35 menu for 3 courses dinner. Many of the participating restaurants are high-end so it's just a very good chance for us to try out these restaurants in a much better price. It usually is held in the end of January for 2 weeks, although some restaurant may extend the time a bit.

OK...enough of the intro.

Here's what I had:

Jan 19 -- Macoronni Grill
Appetizer:
Zuppa Di Portobello - Rich and hearty soup with Portobello, Porcini and button mushrooms, topped with a pesto crostini
Pizza Margherita - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomato and herbs

Comments: The soup is very tasty! And the pizza is those thin crust pizza of decent size. I'm almost half full just with the appetizer and the bread.

Entree:
Pasta Milano - Bowtie pasta, grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes & mushrooms in a roasted garlic cream sauce
Shrimp Portofino - Shrimp, mushrooms, pine nuts, spinach & lemon butter served with pasta

Comments: To me, both of the pasta taste really good however, they are a bit too oily to my taste. Maybe it's typical Italian dishes that it's cooked with lots of olive oil?

Dessert:
Chocolate Cake - With rich chocolate sauce
Tiramisu

Comments: Although Tiramisu is one of my favourite dessert I have to say this one is disappointing. The sponge cake inside the tiramisu is just too "dry". I almost had a feeling that since they are too busy, they just forgot to dip the sponge cake for enough time!
The chocolate cake is too sweet to my taste. Not impressed as well.

Overall, I still think it worth my $25/meal.
More about this restaurant: http://www.macgrillbc.com/vancouver/index.html


Jan 24 - The C Restaurant
I wasn't intend to go to C restaurant this year, since we have been there not long ago and we are both not too excited with the food for this price.
However, a friend of mine asked if I"m interested to go, as her fiancee can't make it that day.
How can I miss the chance of dine-out in a relatively good restaurant for a lower price right? So I still decided to go.

They offer the standard $35 menu and the $45 lobster menu.

I had the $35 menu with addition of fresh black truffle on my entree.

Appetizer:
Shaved Wild Skeena River Smoked Sockeye Salmoncrème fraiche, fennel and crab salad, maple, herbed breadcrumbs.

Thanks Bunny for letting me share the pictures.

Comments: Oh..the smoke salmon seems to have a glaze of maple sugar and it just tastes heavenly good.

Entree:
Seared Wild Skeena River Sockeye Salmon fingerling potatoes, organic leeks, black truffle syrup


Comments: the taste of truffle and salmon just blend in so well. The salmon is cooked just right, very smooth texture.

Dessert:
I got a fruit tart with passion fruit sauce.

It's one of the best desserts I've ever had!

My friend got this one:
Chocolate and carmael macaroons. It's basically meringue sandwiches. She said it's extremely sweet, but the dish is nicely presented.


Overall, I just want to give 10/10 and I feel extremely good about my $55 dinner (with tax, tip and the extra cost of black truffle).
I even want to go back to try another entree, the shrimp risotto.
More info of this restaurant:
http://www.crestaurant.com.

It certainly takes longer than I expected to write my dine out review. Uploading pictures is simply pain.

More to come: Joe Forte, Westwood Bar and Grill at the University Golf Club, the Smooking dog bistro, William Tell and Horizon.