{"id":9269,"date":"2016-12-28T21:58:37","date_gmt":"2016-12-29T05:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/?p=9269"},"modified":"2016-12-29T00:31:25","modified_gmt":"2016-12-29T08:31:25","slug":"west-oak-taste-yaletown-special","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/west-oak-taste-yaletown-special\/","title":{"rendered":"West Oak – “Taste of Yaletown” Special"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year it was only my first time to participate in “Taste of Yaletown<\/a>“. Although I eat out in Yaletown quite often, maybe I just didn’t feel like going to ‘Dine Out Vancouver’ twice a year? This year I decided to check out West Oak<\/a>\u00a0for this Yaletown event since I had never been to this\u00a0restaurant before.<\/p>\n

4 of us happened to be seated at one of the best tables in the house! It was the booth with the round table right behind the foyer, and we had the full view of the entire dining room. It was such a busy night and the whole place was fully packed, but we didn’t feel crowded as we were under\u00a0a very high ceiling and surrounded by tasteful\u00a0decors.<\/p>\n

\"West<\/a>
West Oak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started with a bottle of Blue Mountain Brut <\/strong>($60) to ease into a relaxing conversation catching up with each other. Our tall handsome waiter from Italy was super friendly and attentive. \u00a0And despite the big crow of diners, we didn’t have to wait for our food very long. I guess it was a benefit from the “tasting”\u00a0menu that was ready\u00a0to be executed.<\/p>\n

\"West<\/a>
West Oak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For starters, I was pleased\u00a0with the\u00a0Sable Fish Salad<\/strong>. \u00a0the fish was cooked properly, flaky and moist. \u00a0The Truffle Cauliflower Soup<\/strong> was tasty as well and\u00a0the flavour of cauliflower did come through with all\u00a0that truffle oil, which could be a little tricky to use sometimes. \u00a0The French inspired Prosciutto Board<\/strong> was simple but everything seems to have a good flavour.<\/p>\n

\""charcuterie<\/a>
“prosciutto board”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\""sable<\/a>
“sable fish salad”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\""truffle<\/a>
“truffle cauliflower soup”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For main course, 3 of us are lamb lovers and picked the Braised Lamb Shank<\/strong>. This is definitely one of those comforting dishes for a chilly night like this. The succulent and tender lamb meat was falling right off the bone. \u00a0However I think the seasoning on the lamb\u00a0could be a little bolder. But overall it was a satisfying dish. And the lone plate of Mushroom Risotto<\/strong> was quite nicely done as well, with the creaminess of the risotto complemented by\u00a0the mushroom flavour.<\/p>\n

\""Mushroom<\/a>
“Mushroom Risotto”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\""braised<\/a>
“braised lamb shank”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We tried 2 of their 3 dessert options. The Flourless Chocolate Cake<\/strong> was a decadent choice as it was quite rich and sweet. I liked the touch of nuts on the plate, but it could use a bit of acidity of something – maybe instead of the caramel sauce, they could use a raspberry sauce or jam? The Panna Cotta<\/strong>\u00a0seemed to be a lighter choice as\u00a0it had the fruitiness that I was looking for in balancing in\u00a0a rich and creamy dessert.<\/p>\n

\""Flourless<\/a>
“Flourless Chocolate Cake”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\""panna<\/a>
“panna cotta”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

West Oak\u2019s $35 set menu for \u201cTaste of Yaletown\u201d was a pretty decent deal. Although we only had a taste of their classic dishes that were quite straight forward, the overall dining experience was excellent. If you enjoy a classy dining room with an energetic crowd, West Oak might be a good choice for you.<\/p>\n

Website and menu:<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.westoakvancouver.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

More reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"West<\/a><\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong><\/p>\n