The Shore Club

Restaurant: The Shore Club

Cuisine: Seafood/Steakhouse/West Coast/Fine Dining
Last visited: November 24, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
688 Dunsmuir St

Price Range: $50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (I only tried 4 things)
Service: (n/a…for details on why, keep reading…)
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Fine dining in Vancouver
• Specializes in seafood and fish
• Relatively traditional mains, but creative starters
• Cocktail lounge
• Great for cocktails/appies
• Open kitchen upstairs
• Live pianist
• Extensive wine list
• Classic/modern decor
• Attracts ages 30+
• Smart casual
• Business, yet relaxed feel
• 2 floors
• Coat check service
• Private rooms available
• Valet parking available

**Recommendation: Vanilla-battered prawns, Dungeness crab cake

The Shore Club is a fine dining seafood restaurant in Vancouver. They specialize in seafood and fresh fish and it part of Gotham’s & Hy’s Steakhouse family. I already mentioned it once in my review for Hy’s Steakhouse…but it doesn’t hurt to say it again…it’s also part of The Keg.

The restaurant is huge with 2 floors. It’s very spacious and the downstairs is more of the lounge, while the upstairs is for dining. It has a business like ambiance, but it’s still fun and relatively casual because of the live piano music…which I always love. It’s definitely less pretentious than Hy’s and maybe even Gotham’s. The lighting isn’t as dark and there’s so much wide space so it doesn’t feel as intimate. Maybe also because we were sitting at the kitchen bar – which was very lively!

Service: My friend knows the manager of The Shore Club so the treatment we received was perhaps better than usual. Mind you anyone can sit at the kitchen counter. If I came again I would make the same request. It was awesome! I love watching the chefs and cooks do their thing – they were so passionate and you can see all the work that goes into your meal. It helps when I’m a foodie and I’m able to interact with them and talk to them. They answered all my questions and trust me; I can ask A LOT of questions. It was after the dinner rish (after 9pm) on a Tuesday so they were able to talk and didn't need to rush any part of the cooking.

I also never told them I was a “restaurant reviewer/blogger/critic”. They were friendly, outgoing, and passionate about the food. What more can I ask for?

On the table:

• **Vanilla-Battered Prawns 6/6
• Spicy sweet and sour sauce $15

• The first question I asked the chef was one of my typical questions: What would you order? Please don’t recommend me the most popular, but what would YOU order for yourself? He made a “sooo good face” and replied with “vanilla-battered prawns”…and finished with a “sooo good face”.
• Woohoo! These were amazing! Seriously, I think it could be the best deep fried prawn I have ever had.

  

• The prawns were pretty big, lightly battered, and very aromatic. They put pure vanilla extract into the batter. It’s a traditional flour batter that was slightly sweet from the vanilla. I’m glad it was simple because I wouldn’t want anything to distract me from the v anilla. It was creative enough already.
• The sauce was amazing…but a simple recipe. I mean I can’t say for sure, but I’m 98% sure it was that sweet chili sauce you can buy in the glass bottle from T&T. It’s not completely made in house; however they infuse it with the seeds from real vanilla beans. You can see all the seeds! It’s spicy, sour and had 2 levels of sweetness – the sweetness it comes with (sugar/plum sauce) and then the vanilla. The idea is genius so I’m fine with it if they use the bottled stuff.

• **Dungeness Crab Cake 5.5/6
• Horseradish dill mayonnaise $18

• So this one intrigued me, so I had to ask about it. Chef’s reply “it’s almost 99% Dungeness crab meat. No fillers.” And I was sold.
  
• It was pretty much almost eating pure Dungeness crab. But for $18 I better be getting a whole lot of crab…and I was.
• It was lightly breaded and had some minced red peppers, chives, and very little bread crumb in the mix just to hold it altogether. There’s no shrimp, no fish, no potatoes – just crab.
• It would have been a 6/6 if it was paired with a better sauce. I really wasn’t feeling the horseradish dill mayonnaise. I couldn’t taste the horseradish at a ll so it kind of tasted like a sauce for kids. It tasted like dill chip dip. I would have liked either more horseradish (freshly grated) or a garlic aioli.

• Bouillabaisse 2.5/6
• The classic, with king and snow crab, prawns and fresh fish in saffron broth $38

• Oh no! It was going all so well…ok I have to really explain this dish.It’s not that it tasted bad. It actually tasted really good. BUT it was not bouillabaisse. It was American bouillabaisse.

• Bouillabaisse is a traditional fish stew that originates from Marseilles – city in the South of France. It’s a fish soup made from slowly cooking fish, veggies, s hellfish and other herbs and spices including saffron. I’ve been to Marseilles and have tried authentic bouillabaisse…and this wasn’t close. The closest thing to the real deal that I’ve tried in Vancouver is the bouillabaisse from dB Moderne in Kitsilano.

• The problem with the one at Shore Club was that it was not an authentic bouillabaisse. It was more like seafood served with a saffron broth. I can’t even call it a seafood soup because all the seafood was cooked separately, plated, and then the saffron broth was served overtop. The seafood and fish should have been cooked right into the soup. The flavours of the seafood are what make the broth!

• It was hearty in seafood, but not in flavour. It kind of tasted like chicken saffron broth, not really seafood broth. It was too thin and it didn’t have that slow-cooked/reduced taste.
• The positive is that they don’t skimp on the fish or shellfish at all. This is almost 2 mains in 1.
  

  

• You get a huge piece of halibut and a huge piece of Sea bass, but both were skinless. The skin holds so much flavour and helps flavour the brot h too. The fish is all pan-fried, but their not oily and only fried until cooked and not browned, which is good for this dish.
• Shellfish includes: 2 prawns, 5 mussels, 4 clams, 3 King & snow crab legs, 2 giant scallops. The crab legs were very juicy and everything was cooked perfectly. What happened was that the actual bouillabaisse became secondary to the seafood.
• It came with a dipping sauce for the seafood which was a red pepper aioli. This was good! It was thickened with potatoes and made completely in house. It was very thick and I couldn’t tell they were potatoes until I was told…and then it was obvious.

• CHEF’S SPECIAL – Pan-fried Oyster
• Ok so this part was purely special treatment. The chef whipped us up one of his specialties – not available on the menu. So to be fair, I can’t rate it. They do offer another version of a pan-fried oyster as a starter but I haven't tried it. It would be the closest alternative I could recommend.
• I only like my oysters raw…except for this time. This is the best tasting cooked oyster I’ve ever had. I’m not saying that because it was a hook up too. It was actually amazing!
• From ingredients, to cooking technique, to plating…he nailed it. Simple plating for this starter actually works unlike the crab cake.
• It was a pan-fried oyster that was placed back its shell after it was cooked. It was accompanied with a sauce made of wilted spinach, cream and garlic. It was topped with foamy butter and served on a bed of sea salt.
• I think they could have been using a Chef's Creek oyster. It was medium medium sized and very plump. It had 3 levels of saltiness & 3 levels of creaminess without being too salty. The texture and flavour came from the butter, the cream, and then the natural salty brine of the oyster.
• It was divine! It was so smooth, so creamy, so rich, so decadent and just perfect.

Dessert

I came for dessert on another night (June 2009, before I started blogging), but I’m going to include it in this post anyways.

I’m actually quite taken back by their dessert menu. I was expecting more extravagant things, but everything was very simple and traditional. It was nothing I couldn’t find anywhere else…maybe even at The Keg =p…at least it’s all made in house though. They could do a way better job. I think they should invest more into their desserts and just offer 4 amazing ones rather than 9 ordinary ones. I can’t rate them because it was too long ago it wouldn’t be fair.

• Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownie $10
• To be honest I don’t remember it that much. I remember it being good at the moment, but it was also just a good chocolate brownie. I was impressed by the serving size though. I was expecting a homemade two-bite brownie.
• Key Lime Pie $10
• I remember it being a big slice. The crust was good and the filling was very sweet and tart…which key lime pie is, so that’s fine. It was rich and heavy though, lots of filling, so it was unfinished. I needed to eat it with the ice cream…from the brownie.
• Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee $10
• For someone who’s not a fan of crème brulee, but will still eat it or at least try it…it wasn’t bad. It was also very ordinary, but again a nice portion size.

Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Restaurant: Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Cuisine: American/Steakhouse/Fine Dining/Pacific Nrthwest
Last visited: November 24, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End/Downtown)
637 Hornby St

Price Range: $50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 (I only tried 3 things)
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Fine dining in Vancouver
• Traditional steakhouse, specializes in steaks
• Chain fine-dining steakhouse restaurant
• 40+ years
• Make Caesar salad & dressing at your table
• Extensive wine list
• Vintage/classic/old/traditional decor
• Cozy atmosphere
• Open flame display grill
• Romantic/Intimate dark lighting
• Attracts ages 45+ & couples
• Busy during dinner
• Coat check service
• Private rooms available
• The best after mints (almost like Mentos)

**Recommendation: Cheese Toast for Two, The ONLY New York Strip

Hy’s Steakhouse is a fine dining steakhouse chain restaurant in Canada. It’s also part of Gotham’s Steakhouse, Shore Club, and even….wait for it…The Keg! Yes, it is a secret – that I am telling. Nonetheless they are steak experts and do well in this category.

The atmosphere is cozy but a bit stuffy as well. The dark hardwood floors are old and creaking and it feels like walking into an old European library. When I say “classic” décor I mean “historic” or antique. From areas of carpeted floors to the series of portrait paintings and older demographic diners…it feels a bit “don’t talk too loud or you’ll disturb the others”. I actually prefer the atmosphere in Gotham’s or Shore Club better…but maybe it’s because of my age. Who knows? In 30 years Hy’s could be my special quiet time dinner place.

By the way, thank you to my friend for letting me know that they have the best mints here out of Gotham’s and Shore Club…and The Keg!

On the table:

• Cheese Toast for Two 6/6
• Cheese toast $5.95

• Fine dining food? Or hangover food?! I will seriously pose that question. This is really good. Indulgent good, comfort food good, and straight to the soul…or heart good!
• This is basically a grilled cheese sandwich without the extra slice of bread.
• It was one slice of really really soft white bread completely covered with a thick layer of baked cheddar cheese and grilled until perfection. I think they could use another cheese, I've heard Gorgonzola but it doesn't taste like it. My guess would be Gruyere or Brie but it has to be Gorgonzola becuase it's the only other cheese on the menu. I doubt they would get another cheese just to use for the cheese toast. I could see the charcoal grill marks on the underside of the bread. I don’t know if they bake it and then grill it, or grill it and then broil it. But the cooking method is perfect.
• Your teeth sink right into it and it’s the "taste so good, but so bad for you" feeling. It's oily, greasy, rich, hearty, very cheesy and stringy. The recipe is so simple, but so delicious and heavenly. You seriously might go to heaven after it though…
• They make it upon order and you’re getting it as close to “hot off the grill” as you can at a restaurant. It’s transferred right from the grill into this tin foil lined bread basket and covered with more tin foil to ensure it stays hot. Almost everyone h ad one on their table.

  

• Filet Steak Neptune 2.5/6
• Butterflied filet mignon, topped with fresh asparagus and blue crabmeat, finished with hollandaise sauce $40.95

• This is one of their house-specialties so that’s why I ordered it. My favourite cut of steak is filet mignon. I like the mignon at Gotham’s better, but I can’t really compare it because I didn’t try the traditional mignon here. I wish I went with that instead though.
• The problem with this one is that I couldn’t tell it was a filet mignon. The main reason is because it was butterflied (meaning sliced widthwise almost until all the way through and opened up) – by using this method it made the filet mignon taste like beef flank steak or maybe tenderloin. I actually had to ask the server if it was a filet mignon because it really didn’t taste like it.

The lighting was difficult for photos, but I want to show the thinness of the mignon after it's been butterflied.

• Out of curiosity, and not because I’m a diva, I had to get the server to explain it…they butterfly it because it has blue crabmeat on top, so they wanted to balance the crab with the steak. They wanted the mignon to actually hold the crab meat.
  
• I understand the explanation but I feel as though they sacrificed the filet mignon for the blue crabmeat. It was such a waste of the mignon because it didn’t end up tasting like one and it was overcooked because it was so thin. I ordered it medium rare and it came out medium to medium well. It was a bit rough and tough.
• There was lots of crab though, with tender asparagus underneath. It came with a divine hollandaise sauce that was baked like the cheese toat was. The sauce was rich, thick, and creamy and had the perfect ratio of butter and egg yolks. That was the best part of this dish, and it almost made up for my steak…that’s where the 3/6 comes from.
  
• I ordered it with pan-fried potatoes, but you have the option of rice, fries, a baked or double stuffed potato. They didn’t have mashed as an option which was unusual, unless our server just forgot to list it.
• These potatoes came with lightly sautéed veggies in olive oil, some herbs, and maybe a little butter too. The veggies weren’t tender but still very crunchy and the onions were still spicy rather than caramelized. I think this is what they were aiming for though, so I can’t really ding them for that.
• The pan-fried potatoes as a side was too simple for a restaurant like this – if I’m fine dining I want something I couldn’t do myself. The pan-fried potatoes I could do myself. I would have preferred thin round slices of Yukon Gold potatoes rather than the chunks I got. The thin slices would have matched the butterflied mignon & crab meat better too.
• The presentation was also too simple for a restaurant like this. I expected more.

• The “ONLY” New York Strip 5/6
• Our signature steak specially prepared with Hy's steak sauce – "Only" available at Hy's 10oz 32.95 14oz 36.95 18oz 40.95

• This is popular because of the ONLY sauce. The ONLY sauce is actually a homemade steak sauce with a kick – it tastes like gourmet HP sauce. It’s just thicker and heavier on the Worchestershire sauce and probably has some Dijon mustard. It’s much more bold and thick than regular steak sauce, almost like a thicker barbeque sauce. It does taste really good though.
• They use a thick layer to marinade the New York Strip before thy grill it. I think they let it rest and then layer on another layer and quickly put it under the broiler right before serving. Upon the cooking process the sauce thickens from a sauce into gravy.
• 
  

• It's hard to see in the picture becuase of lighting, but I wanted to capture the layer of sauce on top.
  

• This was ordered medium-rare and it was served medium rare. Now this was an excellent steak. Tender, flavorful and moist because it had some fat to lock in all the juices.
• We ordered this one with fries – which is a good match because those fries are good with the ONLY sauce.The fries were fresh, thin, crispy and nicely salted.
  

• Insider’s tip: There’s two ways you can order this but it’s not advertised. The first is the original way, how they used to do it – on a wooden plank (like the one in my pictures). The second is the new way – which is just on a plate. At least the presentation on the wooden plank is different. If it came on a round white dinner plate I would have been disappointed because I really expect some sort of presentation for fine dining. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for either.