Fresh Oysters, finger lime caviar, fresh breakfast radish, chickweed, apple & verbena sorbet, kasu emulsion
Trying a brand new restaurant is just about our family’s favourite thing to do and when the chef/owner happens to be Andrea Carlson (Sooke Harbour House, Raincity Grill, Bishop’s, etc), who is not only an a fantastic cook but a long time friend, we get downright excited! So, we made sure the three of us were at the corner of Main and E 11th Ave for the very first public service of Burdock & Co.
2702 Main Street
After admiring the space (the former home of Cafeteria), we sat down and ordered some drinks. I had one of the two non-alcoholic cocktails, from a list designed by Lauren Mote of Kale and Nori Culinary Designs, the Cascadian Cooler.
Apple & Fenugreek, Lime, Mint, Denman Bitters, Gingerbeer
The menu featured dishes showcasing local and seasonal ingredients in imaginative combinations that made it difficult to narrow down our selections, so we ordered almost the whole menu to share family style!
Cherry Leaf Cured Scallops, shiso rice crackers, cracked cherry pit ice
We started with the scallops and oysters (both requested by our 10-year-old son, Young Fresh Chef) which were delicate and delicious like a cool spring morning on the West Coast. We even nibbled on the cherry blossoms as instructed by our charmer of a server.
Urban Digs Egg, wild cress, hazelnut & blue cheese granola, brown butter & potato vinaigrette
The flavour and textural combination of the poached egg and the savoury granola was my favourite of the night and I may have Mmmmmmmed out loud more than once! The peppery wild cress presented a nice contrast to the luxuriousness of the rest of the plate.
Fire Roasted Green Farro, spruce tips, black garlic, sorrel
The vegan farro dish was my meat-loving husband’s top pick of the meal and the plate was scraped down to the ceramic glaze. The depth of flavour from the black garlic was earthy and sweet adding a soulful umami element to the farro.
Fried Chicken & Pickles, crispy skin, charred chili vinegar
Our son most enjoyed the fried chicken and he said that he could taste the love that was put into the preparation. The crispy skin was like chicken bacon and the accompanying pickled vegetables helped cut the richness of this dish.
Harvest Pork Belly Ramen, Candied Bacon, nori, fried egg
My husband and I were slowing down at this point, but the boy went full boar (pun intended) into the bowl of ramen.
Wheat Berry Risotto, sunroot, mustard greens, castelvetrano olives, Farmhouse ‘Fermiere’, smoked crema
The risotto was delicious and since the smoked crema would be good with almost anything, it just made the dish that much better. While this was a vegetarian dish, the dairy components gave it a rich taste and mouth feel.
Halibut, braised spring radish and hop shoots, pine mushroom and burdock tea, fried burdock, hop salt
While we should have been getting full after so much deliciousness, my fellas had their forks into the halibut before I could take a single photo! Like everything we tried, the dish was a tantalizing combination of ingredients with an excellent balance of flavours and was seasoned to perfection.
Gluten Free Cookies
We still had a bit of room for dessert and we really enjoyed the gluten-free cookie selection by the soft glow of candlelight.
We left with full bellies and hearts already plotting our return.
Burdock & Co
Open 7 days a week
from 5pm for dinner
no reservations
2702 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V5T 3E8
604-879-0077
email: eat@burdockandco.com
twitter: @burdockandco
website: www.burdockandco.com
Which dish pictured appeals most to your taste buds?
- Social Vacation (juliaaustine.com)
- Andrea Carlson’s Burdock & Co. opens on Main St. (blogs.vancouversun.com)
- Burdock Root (wildweedwisdom.wordpress.com)
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