Brix & Mortar @ Yaletown
Brix & Mortar 1138 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2X6
Second Entrance at 1137 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 915 9463
Open 7 Days a week for Dinner, starting at 5pm
A block's walk away from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line Station
This year, I actually did go to DineOut Vancouver 2016, instead of just hoping I could go. DineOut is an annual event where people can go out and enjoy a special limited-time menu for a special price, at participating restaurants around town. These restaurants range from casual at $20 to fine dining at $40 and up. It's quite a fun event to go to with friends for special occasions and in the student population, almost everyone knows about it. DineOut helps to create business during the slow month of January, between Christmas and Valentines Day. DineOut is anything but slow and restaurants get fully booked weeks in advance, so before you even start thinking about what to order, RESERVATIONS ARE KEY! Don't disappoint yourself and call up your bucket list restaurant early.
Brix and Mortar has two entrances, one on Homer Stret and Hamilton Street. Make sure you call into the restaurant the day before your reservation to see if anyone has rented a half of the restaurant. This place does have covered patio seating and indoor seating. Upon entering, it seems small without the other half of the restaurant being visible. An hour or so after I got there, the restaurant started to fill up quickly. The inside has a warm ambiance, with wooden floorboards, brick (hence the name) and dimmed lighting. From my experience, I especially liked the open air patio next to the street and the artsy bar at the entrance.
The staff were outstandingly positive starting from when I was greeted at the door. They serviced me even though I was the earliest one at the booking (my friends got lost, but they did make it; and not after two years surprisingly). They don't assume that you're underage and give you the wine menu anyway. But they do ask when you make the reservation, so they probably knew ahead of time that one of my friends was of the legal age. They're very humorous and enjoy a laugh with you. They even make great recommendations if you're totally clueless as to what to order and drink.
When ordering something to drink, instead of ordering water, you can try out virgin cocktails if you're in the mood for something fancy to accompany your fancy meal. I was hesitant at first, but I decided on ordering a Virgin Mojito ($4.5). I even convinced my friends to get one after letting them try it. A mojito is typically composed of lime juice, sugar and sparkling water with a minty accent + of course alcohol (Rum). But being me, I ordered one without alcohol (That's what Virgin means, in the drinks world). THINK SMART GUYS! It tastes awesome without the alcohol anyway.
One of my friends ordered an alcoholic Flor Escondido ($12), served in a mason jar. It's a combination of Cazadores Blanco (Tequila), lime, Coca Cola and salt. What Brix & Mortar has done is add lavender and bergamot tea, making the drink taste like a boozy, bubbly Iced Tea.
My friend turned legal a couple days before our dinner and our server was very kind to give her an $8 glass of rarely seen Prosecco Sparkling White Wine on the house. I liked the fact that it was less punchy than traditional white wine, as the bubbles helped to break the muskiness. Take selfies with it and enjoy the moment!
While waiting for your food to arrive, you get a bread basket with baguette style bread or parmesan foccacia type bread. My friend was so addicted to the yummy hummus that was provided that she asked at least 5 times for more hummus. Therefore, she became the "Hummus Girl" not only to us, but the waiters too.
**The following is FROM Menu Option B ($48)** You can only order one appetizer, one main and one dessert. But I'll talk about some more choices too. Menu Option A was $40 with a different selection of food to offer
Overall, the $48 dollar menu came to $55 dollars after tax and that became $64 dollars b/c of 15% tip.
Tip 15% for fine dining restaurants, even though you're already paying a lot. The staff are working very hard during late shifts to help make DineOut exist not only for you, but for everyone else!
First Course: Albacore Tuna Tataki Salad
Peppercorn and Coriander Crusted Seared Tuna Sashimi, Watercress and Cilantro, Onions, Spiced Peanuts, Jalapenos, Ponzu (Lemon+Soy Sauce) Vinaigrette
The first few bites were alright, and then it got to the point where the spiciness killed the dish (and my tastebuds) and I had to give my jalapenos to my friend. The tataki slices were a little underseasoned and didn't have as much of an impact towards the dish as I had hoped. The portion size was bigger than what I expected, but it didn't click with me.
First Course: Lamb Bacon Salad
House Cured Lamb Bacon, Radishes, Bitter Greens, Gouda Cheese, Vinaigrette
The lamb bacon was the star of this dish. It totally exceeded my expectations and made my ask myself, "Why didn't I order this?". The lamb taste is hinted at in the bacon, but the smokiness and crispiness elevated it from typical lamb. This is what I would call a perfect accompaniment to the salad, compared to the tuna in this case.
Second Course: Haida Gwaii Sablefish
Miso Glaze, Celeriac and Ginger Puree, Sesame and Orange Bok Choy, House Made Kimchi
They nailed the puree on this one in both quantity and taste, and I absolutely loved it with the sablefish. I'm already a die hard fan of sablefish, but the puree made it even better. The only negatives were that the kimchi became quite spicy. It masked the flavor of the entire dish and had to be eaten after everything else.
The sablefish having small bones surprised me. I don't mind bones in my fish, but I wasn't expecting bones in a fillet of fish in a fine dining restaurant. The bok choy didn't mix with anything else on the dish, but it maintained the asian flair to the dish.
Second Course: AAA Hanger Steak
Potato Rosti, Red Wine Jus, Grilled Kale with Lemon, Garlic, House Made Bacon
I didn't order this dish, but I had a taste of the steak and I thought it was a little on the ordinary side. However, the kale and lemon were very flavoursome! The red wine jus wan't particularly visually attractive, but this was probably just because jus is not viscous like typical sauces. But I thought the jus would've looked better in a sauce cup for example, instead of just spilled on the plate.
Dessert: Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Blueberry Compote
This dessert rewrote whatever experience I previously had with Panna Cotta. The one i had in Las Vegas was sour, while this one was fresh, and delicious. My friends described it as the perfect palate cleanser to end off the meal. The only negative was that the plating was bland, since it was just Panna Cotta in a jar with blueberries on top. But I did enjoy this greatly and I would've eaten it all if it weren't my friend's dessert.
Dessert: Kentucky Pecan Tart
Pecan Tart, Orange Chantilly Cream, Bourbon Caramel, Malt Balls
I saved the best for last and the Pecan Tart was by far, my most favourite dish of the night. I would literally call this a triumph. The portion size was just right, and I wanted more of the tart! I devoured it in no time and I was pleased with the plating design that was put in. The tart lies on top of a brush stroke of Caramel that stays fluid, so that you can sweep it while eating the tart. This sweetness was the perfect pairing for salty foods and especially the sablefish I had. My friends and I had trouble pinpointing where the bourbon was, but we figured out it was in the caramel, and that made it even better. The bourbon helps the caramel to maintain its color and its musky sweetness.
