Taste of Yaletown (ToY) is back for its 12th annual edition, starting this week and running through to October 27. Thirty restaurants, cafés, distilleries, bars, bakeries and more are offering special menus for either $25, $35 or $45. Even better, dining out at participating eateries means you’re doing good, as a portion of proceeds goes to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which has received more than $112,000 to date from the event.
Of the 30 different destinations to choose from, you really can’t go wrong with any of them, but here are few that offer something more than just the usual prix-fixe experience.
Say “Omakase”!
Never tried a “chef’s choice” menu before? This is a great way to ease gently into the experience. Bistro Sakana owner and chef Etsuko Needham (one of the few female Japanese chefs in the city) is offering a seven-course menu for $35. Dishes include ginger-citrus hamachi sashimi, box-pressed and torched nigiri, tuna-and-avocado crepe, filo-wrapped scallops and prawns, and hoji-cha (smoked green tea) crème brûlée. 1123 Mainland, BistroSakana.com
Cheap date
When you don’t want to go Dutch but you do need to watch the dollars, there’s Little Saigon,where the $35 menu feeds two. Start with a share platter of prawn, veggie and pork salad rolls, plus chicken patties and grilled pork, then each enjoy a bowl of not-so “mini” phō, and finish with two orders of deep-fried bananas with ice cream. With a deep commitment to local, quality ingredients (much of it made in-house), this is definitely the Little Restaurant That Could – and will continue to be so. 1263 Pacific, LittleSaigon.ca
Little Saigon's build-your-own-pho option lets you customize the classic Vietnamese dish. - Dan Toulgoet photo
Sweet spot
Sometimes, instead of dessert, I indulge in “pre-ssert”: eating the sweet course before the meal, just in case I’m too full to indulge after. (Yes, I’m all about the strategy.) Lime & Moon Pie Company obviously knows about this practice, because it’s offering two slices of pie – paired with organic vanilla ice cream and two espressos or teas – for $25. (And thanks to the recently opened location on Mainland, you don’t have to schlep to Bowen Island anymore for a taste of the famous strawberry rhubarb pie.) If you’re really not into the sweet, Lime & Moon offers the same deal with its savoury pies, paired with salad instead of ice cream. 1066 Mainland, LimeAndMoon.com
Bring on the romance
If you’re looking to splurge, La Pentola’s new room is pretty sleek, with cozy corners and friendly staff who know when to be discrete. Chef Travis McCord’s new menus are full of gems, and the $45 ToY menu features quite a few of them. Start with duck-and-radicchio salad, then move on to the pasta course. (I’d go for the octopus taglierini, but you can’t go wrong with classic Bolognese, either.) Choose braised boneless short rib or delicate ling cod for your main, and fill out the corners with the lemon cream – a delicate dish just tart enough to leave you light on your feet after four rich courses. 350 Davie, LaPentola.ca
Beer and pizza forever
Some nights you just want to hang with your bae and slosh back a few good brews while chomping down on a solid pie. Yaletown Brewing Company has put together a $35 menu for two that includes a cheese plate, Caesar salad, and your choice of vegetarian or capicola-and-mushroom pizzas. Beer not included, but the good times are free. 1111 Mainland, MJG.ca/Yaletown
Yaletown Brewing's heated patio is popular all year long. - Contributed photo
Plant-forward dining at its best
Okay, it’s more than plant-forward – it’s completely plant-based. And often raw. Zend Conscious Lounge turns the concept of raw/vegan food into something more interesting than kale salad. Its famous tacos – filled with cashew cheese, fresh guacamole, beans and salsa – have become a customer favourite. For TOY, Zend offers both $35 and $45 menus, each of which include five courses plus a sampler of the signature “elixir” juices. You won’t even miss the hooch. 1130 Mainland, ZendLounge.com
Zend Conscious Lounge offers organic, gluten-free, nutrient-dense and raw vegan fare. - Dan Toulgoet photo
For a full list of participating restaurants and menus, visit TasteOfYaletown.com.
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
