Refuel Restaurant & Bar, specializing in local, seasonal, comfort food, reveals a three-course prix fixe menu for individuals and a romantic five-course menu designed for couples to share, available on Tuesday February 14. Guests are invited to relax at the open kitchen bar with a burger or savour one of these charming menus in the dining room. Menus are priced at 3 courses for $40 and 5 courses for $60 per person, respectfully.

Valentine Menus:

three-course menu

$40

creamy celery root soup

with accompaniments 

 or

warm mushroom & spinach salad

grana padano, bacon

or

crispy pork cheek terrine

grainy mustard, cornmeal, lemon

or

lemon herb risotto

albacore tuna tartare

~

wild bc salmon

braised leeks, lentils, frisee

or

sloping hill farm pork

caramelized brussels sprouts, white beans

~

peanut & chocolate parfait

honeycomb, vanilla ice cream

or

tahitian vanilla creme brulee

shortbread cookie, seasonal fruit

five -course menu designed for two 

$120 ($60 per person)

 sawmill bay oyster

~

warm mushroom & spinach salad

grana padano, bacon 

or

lemon herb risotto

albacore tuna tartare

~

the cure’s salumi
housemade bread, grainy mustard, pickles

or

steamed local manila clams

fennel sausage, red chili

~

whole duck

confit spaetzle, pickled mustard seed vinaigrette

or

40 day dry-aged ribeye steak

18oz cut, mushrooms, gnocchi, chives

or

seared qualicum scallops

cabbage, bacon, brown butter, lemon

~

apple strudel

maple sorbet

or

oatmeal stout float

vanilla ice cream

Valentine’s Day Details:

Price:

three-course menu – $40 per person

five-course menu for two – $120 ($60 per person)

Seating Times:

Refuel is offering flexible seating times to accommodate pre and post movies at Fifth Avenue Theatre, located just two blocks away.

Reservations:

Reservations are recommended.

Guests can reserve by calling 604 288 7905.

Additional Information:

The Refuel dry-aged beef burger will be available for those looking for a quick bite on February 14. The burger & beer special for $15.50, available from 11:30am – 6pm and 9pm – 10pm (please note Refuel breaks between services Monday – Friday from 2:30pm – 5pm) will also be honoured. 

 Soups, salads, and appetizers

Barnston Island greens with house pickled Glen Valley beets, Agassiz Farm House Alpine Gold cheese, In Season Farm hazelnuts, and maple cider vinaigrette $12-

Caesar salad or way; crisp frisee, house bacon bits, Caesar dressing, parmesan herb tuile $12-

Creamy local organic mushroom soup with fresh thyme $8-

Qualicum scallop terrine; caper tarragon aioli, warm spot prawn salad $16-

Braised Gelderman Farms pork, shiitake mushroom and cabbage spring rolls with hoisen balsamic sauce $12-

Beef carpaccio, Goat’s Pride tome de chevre cheese, frisee, Nicoise vinaigrette $13-

To Share: fresh oysters on half shell /chilled spot prawns, mussels and clams/cured wild salmon/ albacore tuna confit/local endive spears, lemon, and dips $29-for two

Entrees

Heirloom squash ravioli; In Season Farm hazelnut and sage brown butter $19-

Pan seared ling cod; Dungeness crab mashed potato, local heirloom tomato butter sauce $28-

Pemberton Valley beef tenderloin; braised short rib ravioli; sunchoke brown butter puree; wild and local mushrooms, port wine jus $32-

6 Masters veal leg roast; sundried black olive tapenade, lemon basil veal jus; Baby spinach, roasted sweet pepper risotto cake $24-

Apple and Agassiz Farm House brie stuffed Maple Hill Farms chicken breast; thyme roasting jus; country mashed potatoes $24-

Six Master’s lamb shoulder confit; Goat’s Pride chevre risotto; lamb jus $26-

To share: roasted beef tenderloin; sautéed B.C. spot prawns, port wine jus; truffle twice baked potato and vegetables $70-for two

Dessert

Red velvet cake with Olera Farms raspberry ice cream $12-

Crepe trio 1.) strawberry cream cheese 2.) apple crumble 3.) chocolate hazelnut $10-

Brule trio 1.) chocolate 2.) white chocolate orange 3.) Hazelnut $10-

To share: Warm chocolate fondue with house made marshmallows, , brownies, strawberries, candied bacon, and caramel cookie $30-for two

http://www.seasonal56.ca/

Trafiq Café & Bakery offers a broad selection of freshly made baked goods and light café specialties. The French-inspired patisserie fare features both classic selections and innovative creations. Rustic, naturally leavened breads such as light rye, fruit and nut blends, and Campagne loaves are offered fresh from the oven each morning at 9. Absolute Sugar has established a reputation for baking beautiful and sumptuous cakes and Trafiq Café & Bakery will continue this tradition in-house. The talented duet of ‘cake ladies’ are steadily filling orders and stocking trays with attractive cakes and tantalizing desserts. The busy bakery is a lively backdrop to the modern café, pleasantly buzzing with SOMA locals and shoppers. A variety of savoury sandwiches, delicious house-made soups, quiche and fresh salads are available any time of day. Freshly roasted small-batch organic coffee is brought in weekly from local roaster Los Beans Trading Co. Fresh juices and a short list of wine and beer are available to round out the offerings of this contemporary café.

Trafiq Café & Bakery offers free Wi-fi to all guests and is available for private functions.
www.trafiq.ca

Trafiq on Main:
4216 Main Street, Vancouver
(604)648-2244
8am – 6pm, 7-days a week

Trafiq in West Vancouver:
1860 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
(604)925-2503
8am – 5pm, 7-days a week

Winner of BC Chefs Association and Canadian Culinary Federation contest goes on to national event

Diva at the Met Executive Sous Chef, Jeff Kang, has been named “B.C. Chef of the Year” after winning the annual Roasted Competition at the BC Foodservice Expo. The event, held on January 30, was presented in partnership with both the BC Chefs Association and the Canadian Culinary Federation.

The Roasted Competition is a knock-out black box event for up-and-coming chefs, with all competitors preparing appetizers, but only top contestants going on to prepare main courses and, ultimately, desserts. Chef Kang impressed judges with his skill, creativity and quick thinking, going on to win the final round over Chef Dan Craig from the Delta Burnaby (2nd) and Chef William Tse from The Sandbar (3rd). As the winner of this event, he will head to Halifax in June to compete in the national competition. As an added bonus, this year’s top two finalists will also travel to Toronto in March to take part in the “Discovered Chef Competition” at the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s national show.

For each round, the chefs received a black box with two ingredients that had to be used in that course. The first round saw Chef Kang use the supplied yellowtail and mussels to produce an olive oil poached yellowtail with mussels, served with a ginger scallion mayonnaise foam and a garden salad.

The main course black box items were sirloin and crocodile, with which he prepared a dish of pan-seared beef, black garlic parsnip puree, heirloom carrots, garlic foam and crispy crocodile.

With quinoa, walnuts and vanilla as his back box ingredients, the final round, dessert, saw him win the event with his blueberry sorbet and microwave bread, served with candied quinoa, walnut crumbles and white chocolate vanilla tuile.

“In this case, the quinoa and crocodile were definitely the ingredients that tested me the most,” said Chef Kang. “But with a black box competition like this, the biggest challenge is the mental one-having no idea of what ingredients you’ll be given to cook with, and then worrying about it for the full 30 minutes of each round! But this is why I am doing competitions like this, to try things I’ve never done before and to test myself.” Chef Kang was also the winner of the 2011 Fetzer Great Beginnings Appetizer Challenge at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

The Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver and Diva at the Met restaurant have been known for a strong mentorship and culinary arts program, and actively encourage all members of the kitchen team to compete in events. “Taking part in competitions is important in keeping our team challenged and at the top of their game,” said Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver Executive Chef, Hamid Salimian. “Competing is a fantastic way to build confidence, exercise creativity and sharpen skills. Jeff is a very talented chef, and he did a lot of practice for this event. All of the members of the team get to see how that pays off.”

About Metropolitan Hotels

Metropolitan Hotels operates three luxury properties: Metropolitan Toronto, the Soho Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Vancouver. With more than 750 rooms, Metropolitan Hotels is committed to providing luxury accommodation for business and leisure travellers seeking an independent choice. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Metropolitan Hotels strives to provide superior service with distinctive accommodations. Award-winning restaurants at Metropolitan Hotels include Hemispheres and Lai Wah Heen (Metropolitan Toronto), Senses (SoHo Metropolitan), Diva at the Met (Metropolitan Vancouver) and Lai Toh Heen (mid-town Toronto).

Goldfish thanks diners for years of loyal patronage

Aburi Restaurants Canada Ltd, operating as Miku Restaurant, announces it will take over the lease of Goldfish Seafood & Chops, located at 1118 Mainland Street. A new restaurant with a different concept, named Minami, is expected to open in Summer 2012. Goldfish’s last day is Sunday, February 5, 2012, after completion of Dine Out Vancouver.

Miku is a celebrated Japanese restaurant in Vancouver, and is popular with both residents and tourists visiting the city. It is known for innovating the Aburi or sear-flamed style of sushi, which is the act of applying fire directly on the fish to enhance the natural flavours. This technique, paired with specialty sauces and non-traditional Japanese ingredients make the perfect complement to the unique taste of fish.

“We look forward to expanding the Miku brand in one of Vancouver’s most vibrant neighbourhoods and bringing Aburi to the Yaletown community in Summer of this year,” explains Takuya Motohashi, Vice President and Executive Chef of Aburi Restaurants Canada Ltd. “Bud Kanke is a legend in the restaurant business. It has been a pleasure working with him on finalizing the details.”

Kanke Seafood Restaurants has founded, opened, and operated 11 restaurants in the past 40 years. Kanke, who is now 72, is contemplating retirement. To assist staff and management with as smooth a transition as possible, the company is providing employees with a generous severance allowance.

“We wish to thank our many diners who have enjoyed their guest experience and supported and frequented Goldfish over the years,” says Bud Kanke, Proprietor of Kanke Seafood Restaurants Ltd. “I am very proud of our Goldfish Team and what we have achieved when we first introduced Yaletown to West Coast seafood cuisine with Pacific Rim flavours in 2007. It has been a great run.”

Kanke adds, “It is time to turn over the reins to the young passionate restaurateurs who can take the Vancouver restaurant experience to the next level. Mr. Motohashi is such a person. I wish him and Miku the ultimate of success in Yaletown.”

Ganache Pâtisserie’s entire menu and all contact information can be found online at www.ganacheyaletown.com or just visit Ganache at 1262 Homer Street in Yaletown.

Sardine In A Blanket - Photo by Hannah Ahn

February 1 – 29, 2012

Executive Chef Frank Pabst’s eighth annual Unsung Heroes Festival takes pride of place at Vancouver’s multiple award-winning Blue Water Cafe throughout the month of February.

Chef Pabst, who has won many culinary distinctions, has long been a champion of the sustainable fisheries movement. He created the Unsung Heroes Festival specifically to draw attention to the diversity of formerly under-utilized species. His concept is simple: Avoid species that are over-fished, or fished in ways that damage ocean beds or cause unnecessary by-catch, by introducing diners to new experiences and flavours using species found in abundance.

Since then, the Festival has become ‘wildly popular’ at Blue Water Cafe, as avid diners seek out new dishes, as well as returning favourites from Unsung Heroes past.

“Eight years ago, this was quite a radical concept,” Pabst says. “But now our guests are well-informed as to just how delicious and nutritional some of these lesser-known seafoods can be. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to introduce them into the mainstream.”

Again this year, 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program, of which Blue Water Cafe is a founding member.

Unsung Heroes Menu

recommended as sharing plates for the table

Jellyfish
stir fried with pork jowl, lotus root, chili and green onions
hoisin sauce and pea shoot salad  10.50

Periwinkles
sea snails poached in a kombu seaweed broth
served chilled in their shells, nori shoyu vinaigrette  9.50

Herring
celery salad with preserved watermelon, walnuts, fuji apples, watercress  9.50

Herring Roe
taramasalata with herring roe, grilled flat bread, citrus marinated olives  10.50

Seaweed
kaiso sunomono, mixed seaweed salad with tosa-zu sauce and ginger  7.50

Anchovy
marinated white anchovies, pearl barley, cilantro chimichurri
parmesan, romaine lettuce  9.50

Geoduck
mirugai sashimi with karashi sumiso  15.50

Sea Cucumber
smoked potato and shiitake mushroom chowder
with sautéed sea cucumber and grilled scallions  10.50

Mackerel
broiled with sesame seeds, pickled sunchokes
kabayaki sauce with orange and long pepper  9.50

Octopus
charred octopus, swiss chard, chorizo, white bean purée, romesco sauce  11.50

Sardine
pan fried in a blanket
stuffed with pine nut gremolata, broccolini, harissa sauce  9.50

Red Sea Urchin
red sea urchin trifle, avocado cream, nori seaweed nest, yuzu sake purée
peruvian gooseberries, ponzu jelly  12.50

February 17 Through March 16  #yyjdinearound

Tourism Victoria and the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA), Victoria Branch, are once again teaming up to organize the popular Dine Around & Stay in Town Victoria event. Due to overwhelming feedback from participants we have extended the 2012 event to run for a full month.

The Concept

• Restaurants will offer three course menus costing $20, $30 or $40 per person
• Accommodations offer one night room rates of $69, $79, $99 and $129
• Bravo! Victoria sees ProArt Alliance members offer great deals on tickets for
  productions during Dine Around & Stay in Town 2012

Menu Launch

February 16 at Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites from 5pm – 8pm
For details click here

Restaurants

Participating restaurants offer three-course menus for $20, $30, $40 CND per person and are all paired with BC VQA wine suggestions. This year we are again pleased to offer celiac-friendly menus.
View the menus

Accommodations

Dine Around & Stay in Town Victoria’s offers world-class accommodations to compliment this experience. These accommodation options will allow food lovers to pamper themselves with an overnight stay.
View the accommodation options

Bravo! Victoria ProArt Alliance Members

Diners can treat themselves to dinner, an overnight stay in a fabulous accommodation property and take in exciting professional theatre or music performances – all at amazing prices. Bravo! Victoria.
View the Bravo! Victoria offers

$28

Dine Out at Refuel January 20 – February 5

Dine Out Vancouver $28 Prix Fixe Menu  (available for lunch & dinner)

starters 

potato & leek soup

croutons

 or

warm mushroom & spinach salad

grana padano, bacon

 or

pork rillettes

pickles, mustard, house bread

mains 

crispy polenta

kale, mushrooms, crème fraiche

or

wild bc salmon

braised leeks, lentils, frisee

or

sloping hill farm pork

caramelized brussels sprouts, white bean puree

desserts 

peanut & chocolate parfait

honeycomb, vanilla ice cream

or

warm apple crisp

maple sorbet