If it is ever appropriate to use the phrase 'nouveau-vintage-chic', Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe might just be the only place in Vancouver lucky enough to deserve the title I officially made up. And seriously, "Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe"? Why so verbose? And turquoise is your accent color of choice? Really? Anyway, I might forgive them for trying to be a little too bougie, because the food deserves some credit.
Originally slated to open in early November of '09, Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe finally opened it's doors on February 4th after waging a paperwork war with the licensing department of pre-Olympic Vancouver. Subject to an extraordinary amount of hype because of local boy, celebrity chef Antony Sedlack (from the Food Network show, The Main), I had to see what all the talk was about. So I ventured in not just once, but twice for dinner over Valentine's Day weekend, thus creating my Corner Suite Love List.
What do I LOVE you ask? Well. Even more than I love salivating over executive chef Antony Sedlack and his new extreme makeover (which may or maynot have included loosing 40 pounds and facial reconstructive surgery), I love his menu. French-influenced, it is beautifully balanced with West-coast flavor and top-notch ingredients. Love is patient, Love is kind, Love is delicious and in an edible heaven, Love comes in the form of a tuna nicoise salad. Originally slated to open in early November of '09, Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe finally opened it's doors on February 4th after waging a paperwork war with the licensing department of pre-Olympic Vancouver. Subject to an extraordinary amount of hype because of local boy, celebrity chef Antony Sedlack (from the Food Network show, The Main), I had to see what all the talk was about. So I ventured in not just once, but twice for dinner over Valentine's Day weekend, thus creating my Corner Suite Love List.
Undoubtedly #1 on my Love List at Corner Suite, the tuna nicoise has yummy little fingerling potatoes, egg, tomato, haricots verts, and olives. Such a great combination, but it's the dressing that ties all the scrumptiousness together.
Tied for #2 on the Love List is the beef tartare with quail egg and the crispy pig's ear with sweetbreads, onion soubise, and shallot & parsley sauce. The tartare is smooth, but it doesn't quite match the depth of flavor of the steak tartare from La Brasserie. Whether it's curiosity or simply love of porcine, the crispy pig's ear is almost worth the $14. Exactly as it's labelled, the pig's ear is crispy without being chewy, but the small portion size leaves you wanting more. Not that I'm an expert on glands, but the sweatbreads seem way too rich.
Falling into the #3 position on my Love List is the skate wing with gnocchi in a lemon cream sauce. What is skate wing you ask? Well, as anyone with an iPhone would do, I googled the shit out of this while I was in the restaurant, so I didn't have to ask the server and look stupid. And because Love works in mysterious ways, I totally recommend eating this fish thing that looks like a sting ray because it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The meat is succulent and with the homemade gnocchi the combination of textures is genius.
My verdict? Corner Suite doesn't live up to all it was hyped up to be; the service sucks (it took over an hour get our food), the food is overpriced, and the place is riding on the coattails of Sedlack's fame. Maybe wait till they get their shit together, get dressed up, sit at the bar, check out the massive drink menu, and see for yourself.
Crispy Pig's Ear with Sweetbreads
Tuna Nicoise Salad
The Veal Cheeks. A little too salty, and not as good as La Brasserie.
The Steak with Blue Cheese Butter and Frites.
The Duck Confit. Uninspiring.
Aaah! so Jealous! We totally wanted to go, but when we called they said they were booked for 8 weeks.
ReplyDeleteOh no! I've worked in restaurants for a while, and can let you in on what I know, to offer an informed perspective (everybody in the industry talks). The place actually isn't riding on Anthony Sedlak's coattails, so I'm not sure if it actually was his menu. He backed out shortly before opening, which delayed their process by a few months because he left them in the lurch.
ReplyDeleteThe portions are a bit small, yes, because the food is all local, organic, sustainable, and OceanWise, which delivers quality, but results in a high ingredient cost. In the true French style, food is not gargantuan, and does not sacrifice quality for quantity. The head chef, Jason Liezert, is a good guy who will not compromise these standards, and that's respectable. I totally feel you, though, sometimes people just want more food.
From an operational standpoint, it's unfortunate, but makes sense that the food took an hour, when the restaurant is just off of Robson and it's Valentine's Day and the place is new so everyone wants to check the place out and the Olympics are in town so it's packed and every station in the kitchen is getting smoked beyond belief. Anywhere I actually ate at on Valentine's Day (before working in kitchens) has had the same thing happen during the rush, unless they pre-made food or something, yuck!
Too bad that you had an unhappy experience there, because I've always had a good time. Restaurants always experience a shaky first month or so, and to have it during the Olympics, when they would get mobbed, is insane, but after lengthy delays, restaurants can't hold off on opening, especially after a lengthy wait. They didn't really have a choice. Restaurants have to make money.
In response to "Maybe wait till they get their shit together," I blame Anthony Sedlak for your dissatisfaction. If he hadn't run away, they would have had three and a half months to perfect things before your visit.
The lunch service at CSBD is brisk and more affordable, which definitely suits my taste! Have you tried their vanilla bean creme brulee? It is the best in Vancouver, and I've tried almost every one in the city!
I hope that you find this comment to be helpful, and not rude, which is not the intended effect. You have a right to express your opinion, but things are always different from the viewpoints of cooks and customers.
PS: Sedlak is an egomaniacal douche. Nobody who has worked with him, in Vancouver or Toronto has anything good to say, Extreme Makeover or not. My friend works in a cookware store (in Vancouver) and he was a complete ass to her. Yikes!