Dine Out Vancouver

Dine Out Vancouver is a city event that happens every winter with 3-course menus that range from $18, $28, or $38 depending on the participating restaurants. I haven't done this for a few years now but decided to use it as an excuse to hang out with my friends. We chose to try out Le Bistro De Paris on Denman St. It's been around for a while. I remember hearing about it years ago. So... why not.

The moment I stepped in, I was taken back to the time I was in Paris. To be honest, the ambiance was refreshing even though it is very much decked out in old European posters and art with signs of Parisian streets names hung all over the walls. I don't know about you, but for me, some of the new restaurants get "old" sometimes. The modern decor that are predictably in colours of dark brown, black or white with some sort of "accent" colour... with the same dark lighting and the repetitive beats playing in the background. (I mean, if you were to walk into Joey's, Brown's, Romer's, Society, Cactus Club, and even the Keg... don't you get the same vibe? I do.)  So yes, I very much enjoyed the change of scenery at Le Bistro De Paris.

All three of us picked the same items from the menu.

Escargot with puff pastry. There was a lot of garlic... just how I like it. I almost wanted to take a piece of bread to clean out the garlic left. Almost. The puff pastry was definitely not without guilt.

Halibut with roasted pear and a lemon coulis. The portion was huge. Three big pieces of halibut. The sauce was creamy yet lemon tangy. The roasted pear added a bit of sweetness. It had a good portion of mixed veggies. However, the halibut was a bit disappointing with it being overcooked and tough.

Chocolate Mousse. I wanted the creme brulee but they ran out. The waiter said it would be on the house the next time we come back. True or not, it was a nice gesture. But, I must say that the chocolate mousse was probably the best part of the meal. It was so light and fluffy that I bet my cousin would describe it as "like eating clouds".

I think the overall experience was excellent. Mostly because of the people. The company of my friends. And the service of the restaurant. The girls and I had some good girl talk... picking all the good parts of life to discuss to death. I can't help but laugh just thinking back to our conversations.  And with the service... the people at the restaurant were friendly and the service was prompt. We had a good chat with our waiter.

We went back to Wendy's place to finish up our gab session. We were all home a little past midnight. That's really all you need to make a good Friday night.

Karen and Wendy