Dinner at The Moon Martini Bar & Restaurant in Gastown was exceptional, and I raved about the noodles so much that chef Felix Maristany sent me home with some.
We had shared the opening news, but our October 25 visit gave us a chance to experience The Moon for ourselves. There was plenty to love, from a martini and snacks to humpback prawns, veal tartare and coho salmon. But that bowl of einkorn noodles in Peking duck broth, topped with geoduck, is where I have to begin.
The noodles I couldn’t stop talking about
Some dishes become the story of the evening. These noodles were mine. I loved them, said so, and apparently kept saying so, because Maristany sent some home with me. An exceptional dinner followed by noodles to take home is a very good night in my book.
The dish brought einkorn alkaline noodles together with Peking duck broth and geoduck. It was an understated bowl beside some of the more colourful plates, with the noodles sitting in the broth beneath thin slices of shellfish. It didn’t need much decoration. This was the dish I couldn’t stop raving about.
A martini, pickles and papas
Back to the beginning. The Moon brings a martini bar and a dining room together at 59 Powell Street. Our evening started with a martini, served with a small bottle nestled in ice beside the glass. An olive, red pepper and caper berry finished the drink.
Pickles and papas accompanied the drinks. The pickled vegetables made a colourful plate, while the golden papas arrived topped with sauce and small green leaves. A drink and a few snacks were a lovely introduction to the evening.
Prawns and veal tartare
Maristany previously cooked at Kissa Tanto and Cioppino’s. At The Moon, his menu brings together ingredients and techniques from several culinary traditions, with preserved elements appearing throughout our meal.
Humpback prawns came with Galiano Conservancy sea buckthorn, heirloom beans and cucamelon. The orange sauce, sliced cucamelon and greens made a beautiful setting for the prawns.
Quebec milk-fed veal tartare followed, with toasted hay, Piave Vecchio, preserved plum and corn crisps. The tartare was presented within the crisps, finished with greens and flower petals. It was another carefully composed plate, with the preserved plum adding to the thread of preserved ingredients running through dinner.
Duck, coho salmon and a melon finish
After the noodles came dry-aged duck with arepa sabayon and preserved corn. The evening’s main-course options were Carrara wagyu beef or coho salmon, and our salmon arrived in two portions with sauce, herbs and accompaniments arranged around the plate.
Dessert was Charentais melon semifreddo with Chinati Vergano gel and melon paper. The pale semifreddo was dotted with gel and topped with thin sheets of melon paper, a lovely final plate after a memorable progression of dishes.
Wine and sake alongside
The drinks deserve attention, too. General manager and wine director Claudia Fandino, whose background includes Published on Main, Barbara and Burdock & Co., joins bar manager Zoe Bates on The Moon’s team.
The evening’s pairings moved between wine and sake. The selections supplied by the restaurant included Ursa Major Good Job, Taiheizan, Summer Moon, Nabeshima and Kawatsuru Sanuki Cloudy, with pairings varying throughout the evening.
There is plenty here to make an evening of, and our first dinner gave me every reason to return. The meal was exceptional. And yes, I’ll be looking for those noodles.
The Moon Martini Bar & Restaurant
59 Powell Street, Gastown, Vancouver
Website and reservations
Our visit was October 25, 2026. Dishes and beverage selections may change.
