Earlier this week, I was invited to sample PiDGiN’s award-winning Chef Makoto Ono’s East Meets West-inspired cuisine. Not only was this a fine opportunity to enjoy food and drink with industry friends old and new, but also to celebrate Ono’s respectable fifth place spot in enRoute’s 2013 Best New Canadian Restaurants issue.
[PiDGiN’s oyster shot with apple and horseradish]
Food writer Andrew Braithwaite chose PiDGiN, one of two Vancouver restaurants to make the choice list (the other being Main Street’s vegetarian paradise, The Acorn).
enRoute will release the issue this coming Friday, November 1. With less than one year in Vancouver, this beautiful Gastown eatery (featuring another beautiful interior by designer Craig Stanghetta) has captured the attention of food lovers far and wide.
[PiDGiN’s Gen. Manager Brandon Grossutti with Chef Makoto Ono’s award-winning entry:
Rice bowl, foie gras, soy-braised daikon, chestnuts, topped with sweet unagi glaze]
Between numerous shared courses and crafted cocktails, we toasted both General Manager Brandon Grossutti and Chef Ono on their successful journey thus far.
A walk around the warm, inviting interior offers glimpses of a wing mounted inside an orange bolt onto an inverted subway-tiled wall, a series of cooking shears, kitschy decor placed inside curved built-in niches, and other fun touches that make for a unique visual space with a functional layout.
[Midnight Grogg: Demerara rum, house lime cordial, verjus, frozen grapes]
The Midnight Grogg is filled with frozen grapes surrounded by Demerara rum, house lime cordial, and verjus. A drink so luscious and tasty that I couldn’t stop at just one. Others at our table ordered the One-Eyed Samurai as well as wines from the tap and a few non-alcoholic sippers.
[The One-Eyed Samurai: Watermelon-infused tequila, sake, lemon juice, orange blossom water, egg white, watermelon granita]
One by one, dishes were presented to be shared amongst the tables, from raw scallops, infused with an addictive pomegranate red curry oil, served with daikon and green apple, to a selection of foraged mushrooms with snap peas, soy yuzu brown butter, and two fresh egg yolks for dipping, making for a creamy sensation that added so many textures to my palate.
[Raw scallops, pomegranate red curry oil, daikon, green apple]
[Mushrooms, snap peas, egg, soy yuzu brown butter]
Of the entrées, we were served meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, all with their own unique flavour components. The smoked ling cod, lentils, clams, bacon dashi veloute, something I’d eyed on the menu from the start of the evening, did not disappoint, from the golden-crusted smoky taste at first bite to the soft, flavourful lentils.
[Grilled octopus, romesco, fennel biscotti]
[Dan-dan kohlrabi noodle salad, tofu, almonds]
[Smoked ling cod, lentils, clams, bacon dashi veloute]
[Half duck, carrot cake, oranges, spices]
[Braised beef, fennel, soy lime syrup]
Another winner in my book is the Parisienne gnocchi, with radishes and radish green pistou, topped with a sprinkling of buttermilk ricotta. The bite of the radish and sprouts plays well together with the soft, simply dressed gnocchi.
[Parisienne gnocchi, radishes, radish green pistou, buttermilk ricotta]
Two desserts were presented: a milk chocolate Ovaltine mousse with orange blossom yogurt and honeycomb (aka crack), and meringue, with dollops of passion fruit curd, almonds, and a stroke of sideline white chocolate lime purée. A fantastic not-too-sweet finish to an award-winning supper.
[Ovaltine mousse, orange blossom yogurt, honeycomb]
[Meringue, passion fruit curd, almonds, white chocolate lime]
Aside from our group, the rest of PiDGiN was packed for most of the evening, which on a Monday, says to me that the buzz is out: this restaurant is most worthy of placing in the Canadian top 10. And how lucky we are to have it in the heart of Gastown.
PiDGiN is located at 350 Carrall Street and is open Mondays to Saturdays from 5 pm to midnight and Sundays from 6:30 pm to midnight.
