COAST Restaurant

A friend had a gift card for COAST and wanted to use it up on her birthday, and we were happy to join them, as we've been to COAST several times and it's always been good.  COAST is part of the Glowbal group, and like all their restaurants, the interiors are superbly designed.  We had reservations, and were seated close to the open kitchen with a good view of the high ceilings and raw bar.

We had a coupon for a free teaser, as Glowbal gives these out quite often.  In this case, we were given a piece of their Mango California Roll, and a raw oyster.  I did not eat the oyster, as I can't stand the texture of raw oysters, but the dungeness crab in the California roll was nice and fresh.  The sweetness and texture of the mango completely overpowered the avocado, so a bigger piece of avocado would've been nice.

For my appetizer, I had the Caesar Salad.  This was good but unremarkable.  The fried capers were a nice touch, but the overall this wasn't anything to write home about.

Flowerbunny ordered the Crab Cake, which we've had there before.  As always, this is an exceptional dish, maybe the best crab cake that I've tasted.  The fennel salad is a nice accompaniment, and the house-made tartar sauce is delicious.  The crab cake itself is full of meat, very little filler.  Definitely a must if you've never tried it before.

One of our friends ordered the Dover Sole entree, which they served table side.  This was kind of fun to watch, as it's kind of rare to see nowadays.  The waiter did a very good job of pulling the meat off the bones, and the result was quite tasty (according to our friend).

 

For her entree, Flowerbunny had the Atlantic Scallops.  The garnishes on that night were chick peas, cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and some kind of leafy green vegetable.  I don't remember exactly what it was, but it kind of looks like gai-lan.  The scallops were unfortunately a bit overcooked, and she didn't like it too much.

I had the Halibut.  Unfortunately, when it came out, it was super dry and tough.  However, the GM came by to ask us how our meal was going, and when I mentioned the dryness, he replaced it very quickly with a completely new plate (with lots of extra garnish).  The 2nd time, the halibut was perfectly juicy, and nicely salted. 

For the table, we ordered a plate of their Lobster Mashed Potatoes, which are always delicious.  There are huge chunks of lobster meat in them, and they are super creamy and buttery.

Overall Impressions: We've been to COAST several times, and they're definitely one of the best places to get a nice plate of fresh fish without a ton of bells and whistles added.  Maybe skip the scallops, but the crab cakes are a must try. The service is also very friendly, though it can sometimes take a little while between courses if they're busy.

COAST

1054 Alberni St

Vancouver, BC

604.685.5010

http://www.coastrestaurant.ca/