VanFoodies.com

The fourth Dine Out ’09 was at Mosaic Bar & Grille. I was just there a few months ago for a business lunch and I truly enjoyed the food. And to my surprise, its Dine Out price was very reasonable, so I recommended it to another friend and made another reservation for myself. Based on the menu, I thought it was a very good deal.

Food

I was glad that the food didn’t disappoint me. I like the fact that they provide you with a choice of Bread to start (and pan bread was by far my favourite in the basket). I think the Cabernet Sauvignon we ordered was pretty good, but didn’t go well with my seafood dishes (other drinkers ordered the steak so we went with the majority). The Crab Cake was good but I couldn’t tell that it’s lobster sauce. (I found out when I went home to check its menu again.) The avocado ragu was like guacamole which added a nice touch to the crab cake. The Seared Black Cod was moist with a crispy skin. I never really like brussel sprout but I enjoyed the hash. The Steak was juicy and tender at medium rare. And it was ordered as medium rare and came out as medium rare, not medium – which was very impressive since most restaurants would serve a medium for medium rare. The Bouillabaisse was very nice too. I could taste the tangy tomato broth – although I wish they would include more seafood in it. I found the Chocolate Cake a bit too sweet for my liking. The combination of a sweet chocolate cake and caramel sauce was just too rich.

Service

Service was, unfortunately, the downside of this dinner. It started out alright, but it went down hill when the server forgot our bread until our appetizers were served. Then the entrees took forever to arrive, and suddenly more bread was served after we finished our entrees (it was actually meant for the table beside us). I wouldn’t say I was totally disappointed but it could definitely be better especially it’s a hotel restaurant.

Ambiance

The restaurant is big, with the bar on the other side. I like the semi-open kitchen at the back and the space between each table. It’s definitely not should-to-shoulder seating. Without a nice view of the water, this restaurant offers the vibrant view of downtown Vancouver. It’s located in the heart of downtown and you can see all the busy traffic going up and down Burrard street.

Final Thoughts

Although the service wasn’t at its best, I still enjoyed the dinner.

Mosaic Bar & Grille
Price Range: $20-$30
655 Burrard Street, Vancouver
604-683-1235