The fifth Dine Out ’09 dinner was at Metro Restaurant. I was intrigued by its idea of limited offering (it offers very few options on its regular menu) so they must be good at what they offer in order to succeed. I actually found its Dine Out at $38 to be a bit priced, but I was motivated to visit this restaurant by a $26 OpenTable coupon.
On Food
I was pleasantly surprised by the food quality. Usually at least one dish may fall short, but all of the dishes tasted very good. It started with a nice crostini as amuse bouche. The scallops were good, too, but I didn't realize it's on a bed of truffle gnocchi until I checked the menu again. The braised beef was tender and that appetizer was a generous portion! For the two entrees, I especially enjoyed the duck breast - the meat was moist, and its skin as well as the panchetta were crispy. I didn't care for the tomato compote on the salmon, it was way too sour. Onto the desserts, they were both excellent, although I was looking forward to finishing my meal with a chocolate mousse. They replaced it with the beignet, which was still good serving with maple ice cream. The cheesecake mousse really surprised me, because it wasn't the texture I was expecting. It's very smooth and creamy yet it tasted just like cheesecake. The crust at the bottom was good too.
On Presentation
The presentation was by far the best I've seen at Dine Out this year. Every dish was plated in different style yet none of them was over-plated. It definitely fits its modern fine-dining brand.
On Environment
The decor definitely caters to a younger crowd. It's modern but classy. It also has a bar/lounge area for people to hang out for a drink. The wine cellar near the entrance was quite a nice touch.
On View
You can actually see the waterfront from the restaurant, as well as Canada Place. Unfortunately, Canada Place's flashing screen can be a bit disturbing.
On Service
The service was pretty good. I do want to point out that the server was willing to split the bill for us, AFTER deducting the OpenTable coupons from our bill (there were two coupons for the two of us), even though they couldn't do it like two separate bill. It was shown as two amounts due on the same bill but she made hand-written notes for us to highlight how much we each owed. I thought that was quite nice.
Metro Restaurant
Food: 9
Presentation: 9
Environment: 8.5
View: 8.5
Service: 8.5
Overall: 8.7
Photos
Non-alcoholic cocktail: Blueberry pomegranate mocktail
Amuse Bouche: Crostini with blue cheese and proschitto
Appetizer:Scallop, truffle gnocchi, cauliflower puree
Appetizer: Braised beef cheek orrichiette
Entree: Crispy duck breast, braised red cabbage, local potato fondant, pancetta
Entree: Wild B.C. salmon, tomato mustard seed compote, French beans, beurre blanc
Dessert: Cinnamon beignet, maple ice cream
Dessert: Baked cheesecake mousse, strawberry compote
Decor: Open kitchen
Decor: Modern decor with what it seems to be a younger crowd
Decor: The wine cellar
