VanFoodies.com

Launched on March 15, 2023, Yaletown’s Provence Marinaside now has a Quelle Surprise menu everyday until April 15. Quelle Surprise translates into “What a Surprise,” and literally, you will come to the restaurant and be surprised! Each morning Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia and his chef team will make a limited number of dishes from a rotating assortment of bistro favourites, and these dishes will be featured in a two-course menu for only $49. This feature will be available during lunch and dinner service.

“Some days we’ll make a dozen orders of a particular appy and main, and other days, depending on the availability of ingredients and what inspires us, we might make two dozen, or only ten,” says Chef Jean-Francis. “I won’t know until that day what we’ll make or how many.”

So it could be Os à Moelle (Roasted Bone Marrow) and Canard Confit (Duck Confit) one day, or Soupe aux Oignons (French Onion Soup) and Daube de Boeuf (Provençal Beef Stew) the next. There’s no set order to what dishes they will make, how often they will be featured, or how many will be available each day. Once that day’s set of dishes are gone, they’re gone.  

I had the pleasure to attend a media tasting to sample some of the likely candidates for this feature menu. The tasting did not serve the full portion, but you can expect the actual portion size to be roughly or at least double the amount I had. I can confirm that the Pissaladiere et sa salade would be the full round disk of tart (vs. the quarter size I sampled).

Of everything I sampled, I was most in awe with the Tartare de Boeuf (Beef Tartare), Os à Moelle (Roasted Bone Marrow), Vol au Vent au Lapin (Rabbit in Puff Pastry), and Canard Confit (Duck Confit). But honestly, every bite was delicious, and every dish was thoughtfully put together. Yes, these are bistro favourites that you often see at French bistros, but Chef JF and his team have put their own twist on them. How about a balsamic vinegar marinated egg with your Salade Niçoise, or a herb crust with your Os à Moelle for extra flavour and texture, or Canard Confit that was cooked sous vide? The beauty of this concept is that you would be served two tasty plates one day, yet you can come back the next day and be surprised again.

Apparently, there will also be a few wine surprises. According to Wine Director Joshua Carlson, “I have a few bottles in one’s and two’s that I’ll open depending on what the food surprises are that day. There will also be a sommelier recommendation for each of the dishes available by the glass. Each glass will be value driven, French, and limited in availability.”

Of course, the regular lunch and dinner menu will still be available in addition to the Quelle Surprise feature. The server will inform you at the table what the “Surprise” of the day is. And if you don’t like the feature, you just simply order from the regular menu, and trust that the kitchen team will take good care of you all the same. Oh, don’t forget to order half a baguette that comes in a paper bag like a French bakery, or a dessert at the end of your meal. My Creme Caramel was the perfect finish to our tasting.

Final Thought

The weather is still a bit chilly right now, especially at night, so comfort food is still calling to me. These bistro favourites come at a great time as an early spring feature. And I appreciate the surprise element, which is no different from a daily fresh sheet. Oh, did I mention Provence has live jazz music on Wednesday nights?

Provence Marinaside
1177 Marinaside Crescent, Vancouver
604-681-4144
provencemarinaside.ca