Another restaurant that we previewed for Dine Out was Dockside Restaurant. They are also offering a $35 menu. Similar to the Sandbar tasting, we had the full portion for photos and small bite size for tasting. But luckily for us, here we got to try everything on the menu.
Food
Dockside’s menu offers 3 appetizer options, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts. Here they are:
Cucumber Caprese – This didn’t seem like much, but it’s refreshing and light. I really like the mint on top. Simple 3 bites to start the meal.
Beef Empanadas – This had good flavour. The crust wasn’t too thick and there was decent amount of filling.
Korean spiced Arancini – This is an Asian take on the Italian appy. It’s a little bit spicy with a hint of sweetness, just like gochujang.
I like that in the Singapore Seafood Curry, they made rice less boring but adding coconut milk and forming it into a “rice cake” then fried it. The curry sauce was sweet yet fragrant.
For the Grilled Lamb Rack, our taster portion was closer to medium-medium well but you can order the doneness however you want (usually medium rare). Even though it’s overcooked for my liking, the meat was still flavourful. They did a good job with the marinate.
Crispy Braised Chicken Thigh was my least favourite of entree. With the small bite I had, the bean cassoulet overpowered the dish. Chicken had a crispy skin but overall it was just okay.
The Mushroom Goat Cheese Risotto is the vegetarian option. The use of goat cheese added extra flavour. Risotto is not easy to make. I thought the taster version was a bit too thick but it had good flavours.
Chocolate Crème Brûlée – The creme brulee was of good consistency. It was rich, decadent. The brulee crust gave it a nice crack as I tapped it with a spoon.
Apple Pie “Lollipop” – What a cute presentation by turning the apple pie into a lollipop! The dough was flaky, filling not overly sweet. The vanilla ice cream was creamy and a perfect classic pairing with apple pie.
Final Thoughts
For $35, Dockside offers great value in its Dine Out menu. There are a lot of good options, with a wide variety. At our tasting, food tasted good overall. I would recommend Arancini + Lamb Rack + Apple Pie Lollipop.
Disclosure: This tasting was provided to me complimentary of the restaurant. However, the views and opinions are my own.
Dockside Restaurant
Granville Island Hotel, 1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver
604- 685-7070
docksidevancouver.com
VanFoodies.com 