Bis Moreno

[Ling]

Just got back from my DOV at Bis Moreno--we had reservations at 7pm and got home before 8:30pm.

This is what I chose:

house-made spinach and tomato ravioli with porcini and tomato sauce

pork cheeks with candied root vegetables

gingerbread with roast apples, chantilly cream

This is what my bf had:

cannelli bean soup with scrampi crostini

roast quail with parmasan rissotto

gingerbread with roast apples, chantilly cream

We both had the Quail's Gate 2002 Riesling and the Township 7 Merlot (suggested wine pairings for the appetizers and mains.)

The best dish of the evening was definitely the ravioli, and the quail and rissotto was also quite good. Although the pork cheeks were tender, they weren't very flavourful. I was quite disappointed by the gingerbread--it was quite dry, and rather bland. (In other words, it's got nothing on Neil's gingerbread pudding!) It would have been much better if they upped the spices in the recipe, and perhaps the butter too, imo. The roast apple puree didn't do much for the dish, as it was more of a garnish on the plate.

What really soured my evening was the service--my glass was dirty, and no one asked us if we wanted any more wine until we were almost finished with our main course. It was kind of disheartening when the table next to us seemed to get much better service--the server talked to them about the wine, showed them the bottle, refilled their bread without their asking, etc.--basically all the things that makes for a good experience. I felt that our dinner was hurried, because our plates were whisked away the moment we were done, and our next course set before us. The server did not ask us how we found our food, etc. I didn't order coffee after dessert because by that point, we both wanted to get out of there.

Anyway, enough complaining. I didn't think Bis Moreno was a very good value, and I most likely won't be dining there again.

Edited January 22, 2005 by Ling (log)

[canucklehead]

Ling

I am sorry to hear about your experience - I had heard very good things about Bis and was eager to give them a try.

To be honest - I've been very careful about the DOV thing. I am afraid of having your experience - and not being sure if the restaraunt is at it's "A" level game. I think that the DOV may get some restaraunts busier then they are really comfortable with and the food may be a little more assembly line then usual.

I know that you eat out alot - and I do to - so you will continue to frequent your favorite restaraunts. I am waiting for most of the DOV strain to die down a little and try some places in their "natural" state.

Edited January 22, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

Ling,

That's a pretty typical dine out story. Copy and paste what you just wrote and send it to them in an e-mail.

In the biz, the only way things like this get fixed is if we're told about it.

Some don't want to feel nasty, or to be seen as a complainer, or just simply can't be bothered. I think you should contact them and let them know, with details, what disappointed you about your experience and what pleased you.

Ten times out of ten you'll get a reply and an apology.

Just a thought,

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Interestingly, Ling's experience is pretty much what I have heard from at least 3 other people and is one of the reasons we haven't been to Bis. Overrated and overpriced. Indifferent service without the excellent food to carry it off. Too bad Ling. But knowing you, I know you will put this experience behind you and charge ahead. Take one for the team so to speak.

[Vancouver Lee]

My wife and I dined at Bis Moreno tonight, too. We arrived at 8:30 - sounds like we missed you by only a few minutes, Lorna!

I had:

Arugula salad with baby octopus, wild boar bacon, and vine ripened tomatoes with a lemon vinagrette,

Cod filet with roasted red pepper farro in a parmesan broth

gingerbread with roast apples, chantilly cream

My wife had:

House-made spinach and tomato ravioli with porcini and tomato sauce

Pork cheeks with candied root vegetables

Red wine poached pear stuffed with white chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate and gorgonzola sauce

Overall, very disappointing. Nothing was really bad, but nothing came close to our expectations of a restaurant of this calibre. A few ingredients were of poor quality (mealy tomatoes in my salad, for example), and a few things were missing altogether (no trace of gorgonzola in the sauce on my wife's poached pear). We would agree with Lorna's opinions expressed earlier, with the addition that most dished were, to our palattes, overly salty. Lorna, did you find the ravioli a little mushy? We felt the dish would have benefitted from some more texture.

Service was generally indifferent, and unlike Lorna's experinece, we were shown the bottles and offered a little bit of information about the wines (we had the matching flights for all three courses). My wife enjoyed the Township 7 Merlot but I can't offer any firsthand experience with that - I was driving so I skipped that flight. The Silver Sage Pinot Blanc with desert was very heavy on the pear flavour, IMHO, but I'm still suffering from a cold so your mileage may vary.

I'd sum up Bis Moreno by saying "Big Hat, No Cattle". The place looks gorgeous, right down to the servers who look like they should be wonderful but have no flow at all (and who all honestly match the decor - were they hired by the designer?), but that's where the story ends. Kind of like a trophy wife - looks good, but once you scratch the surface there's nothing there.

One other thing: A big crowd arrived at the door around 8:40 (the late seating was for 8:45). Most everyone waited at least 20 minutes for their table, and the last group waited at least half an hour. We had arrived early and were seated right away, thank heaven. Given that we are both sick, there is no way we'd have waited that long for the restaurant to honour our reservation. Is this common during DOV? Is the key to arrive 15 minutes early?

[mangez]

Thanks guys for the notes. Perhaps it's just me but I find the menu not very appealing. One crossed off from my list. DOV or not.

[winegeek]

Ling & Vancouver Lee,

Was your experience such that you would recommend a cancellation for those of us that have reservations? I was planning on going Monday. Maybe going there outside of DOV is a better option. Where as I believe that restaurants should be putting forth their best, It's not always the case during DOV. Two years ago I was serving in one of the citys best known fine dining establishments and was very dissapointed in the effort of the staff, especially the kitchen. I did not feel like it was indicative of the restaurant on a day to day basis. The following year was much better. Maybe 1st timers are not prepared for the onslaught, although they certainly should be.

[montrachet]

Interestingly, Ling's experience is pretty much what I have heard from at least 3 other people and is one of the reasons we haven't been to Bis. Overrated and overpriced. Indifferent service without the excellent food to carry it off. Too bad Ling. But knowing you, I know you will put this experience behind you and charge ahead. Take one for the team so to speak.

←

My thoughts exactly FIV.

Thanks Ling for the warning. I think I will cancel my rez.

Mike

[Mooshmouse]

Interestingly, Ling's experience is pretty much what I have heard from at least 3 other people and is one of the reasons we haven't been to Bis. Overrated and overpriced. Indifferent service without the excellent food to carry it off. Too bad Ling. But knowing you, I know you will put this experience behind you and charge ahead. Take one for the team so to speak.

←

My thoughts exactly FIV.

Thanks Ling for the warning. I think I will cancel my rez.

Mike

←

I'll chime in to third this sentiment.

Actually wasn't that impressed with Bis Moreno's DOV menu. That, dovetailed with mediocre to bad reviews from friends, makes me glad I gave it a miss too.

But you'll have a stellar dinner on Sunday evening at West which will more than compensate!

[Ling]

Ling & Vancouver Lee,

Was your experience such that you would recommend a cancellation for those of us that have reservations? I was planning on going Monday.  Maybe going there outside of DOV is a better option.

←

Let's just say I didn't think the meal was worth 35 dollars, and their regular menu is much pricier. (I took a look at it yesterday and I believe the tasting menus are about 80-120 dollars.)

[Ling]

My wife and I dined at Bis Moreno tonight, too.  We arrived at 8:30 - sounds like we missed you by only a few minutes, Lorna!

We would agree with Lorna's opinions expressed earlier, with the addition that most dished were, to our palattes, overly salty.  Lorna, did you find the ravioli a little mushy?  We felt the dish would have benefitted from some more texture.

←

Sorry we missed you! I found the ravioli to be quite tasty, but then again I haven't had too much experience in Italian restaurants so I don't have anything to compare them to. I had a few bites of my bf's quail, and that was a little too salty. I think his bean soup was a little under-salted though; he didn't really enjoy the soup either.

And waiterblog, do you think I should email Bis Moreno about a mediocre experience? The food wasn't horrible, it just wasn't great. I guess my biggest complaint is about the poor service.

[winegeek]

And waiterblog, do you think I should email Bis Moreno about a mediocre experience? The food wasn't horrible, it just wasn't great. I guess my biggest complaint is about the poor service.

←

Not waiterblog ( ) but yes Ling, I know that they would appreciate it. I know that my Managers would be very receptive to such feed back. It is just one of many ways that restaurants can continue to improve.

[Vancouver Lee]

Ling & Vancouver Lee,

Was your experience such that you would recommend a cancellation for those of us that have reservations? I was planning on going Monday.  Maybe going there outside of DOV is a better option. Where as I believe that restaurants should be putting forth their best, It's not always the case during DOV.  Two years ago I was serving in one of the citys best known fine dining establishments and was very dissapointed in the effort of the staff, especially the kitchen.  I did not feel like it was indicative of the restaurant on a day to day basis.  The following year was much better. Maybe 1st timers are not prepared for the onslaught, although they certainly should be.

←

That's a tough question to answer, Winegeek. I was certainly underwhelmed by our evening there, but perhaps they had an off night? I hesitate to write off a place because of one bad experience. Everyone deserves a second chance.

I was reading the DOV Insider's View thread and to a certain extent I agree with Young One's comment that we should not be too harsh in judging a place during DOV. I have several relatives in the restaurant business (owners, FOH and in the kitchen), so I understand what an event like DOV can do to the regular flow of a place. But speaking as a customer, if I'm going to an event designed to bring new potential customers into a restaurant, and said restaurant cannot do things like properly space out their seatings so dozens of people are not kept waiting long past their reservation time, or have enough staff working to properly service the tables, well then I start to be less sympathetic.

I guess I should give Bis Moreno the benefit of the doubt, based on the fact that last night was the first night of DOV. They opened in 2003, I think, so I assume this year in their second DOV? Perhaps they had more people than they expected, and without several years expereience to draw on, they made some wrong assumptions about the event. With a few more nights of DOV under their belts, perhaps it will get better...?

OTOH, from the reviews of Rain City Grill and West here already, there's no shortage of other fine dining restaurants in this city to patronize. Heaven knows the restaurant business is brutally darwinian, and if Bis Moreno can't get it right on the opening night of an event as important as DOV, the perhaps you should take your business elsewhere.

My apologies for this rambling, stream-of-conciousness post. We may give Bis another chance, but it won't be for a long time. There's just too many other places to eat in this city that we'd rather try. Like the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

[Andrew Morrison]

I still hold true to my opinion that Bis Moreno is fabulous. Some of the best Italian food i've had in Vancouver.

As it has been suggested here, DOV down-right inspires off-nights.

As for table spacing, it isn't as easy as you suggest. At this volume? Forget it.

As for service, you've got to understand how inundated we are with things that just normally don't come up.

"So, let me get this straight...."

"I get a free coffee with my dinner, right?"

"That is correct, sir."

"Can I order my coffee now at the beginning, or does it have to be in the order of how it is listed on the menu...you know, after the desserts...cause I don't want to have a coffee now and then pay for the one i have after my dessert."

OR

"What is creme brulee?" Not that there's anything wrong with food ignorance...it gives us TIME to teach, time we don't have.

OR (seriously)

"What is veal?" Followed invariably by a look of horror.

It can just get a little trying sometimes....

I'm positive they had an off-night with you guys at Bis. It's likely that 8 out of every ten customers left Bis glowing.

You may have just lost the service lotto.

Andrew

Edited January 22, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[Vancouver Lee]

I still hold true to my opinion that Bis Moreno is fabulous. Some of the best itlaian food i've had in Vancouver. DOV down-right inspires off-nights.

As for table spacing, it isn't as easy as you suggest. At this volume? Forget it.

As for service, you've got to understand how inundated we are with things that just normally don't come up.

"So, let me get this straight...."

"I get a free coffee with my dinner, right?"

"That is correct, sir."

"Can I order my coffee now at the beginning, or does it have to be in the order of how it is listed on the menu...you know, after the desserts...cause I don't want to have a coffee now and then pay for the one i have after my dessert."

OR

"What is creme brulee?"

OR (seriously)

"What is veal?"

It can just get a little trying sometimes....

I'm positive they had an off-night with you guys at Bis. It's likely that 8 out of every ten customers left Bis glowing. You might have just lost the service lotto.

Andrew

←

Fair enough, Andrew. Everyone has an off-night.

"What is veal"????? How do you keep a straight face when someone asks you that?

[Edible Vancouver]

Gail and I, along with four of our friends were also in for dinner on Friday night at 7:00 pm and had a very similar experience to those mentioned in this thread. Late seating, very poor service, average food and to boot we were asked to leave at 9:00 pm even though it was 7:40 before we even received a glass of water!

See my post for Coast Restaurant with a comparison of our experiences.

Cheers,

Eric

[Coop]

So what good would it do to send these people a note about your dissapointment? They have already been told by the cities finest critic on the Food Network Canada that they have problems. It seems to me they aren't all that interested or equipped to improve on them.

Sometimes what works in small cities doesn't work in big cities. Just my opinion from a far. After what I have heard about this place they won't be seperating me from any of my hard earned cash, or credit.

[Ling]

Gail and I, along with four of our friends were also in for dinner on Friday night at 7:00 pm and had a very similar experience to those mentioned in this thread.  Late seating, very poor service, average food and to boot we were asked to leave at 9:00 pm even though it was 7:40 before we even received a glass of water!     

See my post for Coast Restaurant with a comparison of our experiences.

Cheers,

Eric

←

I saw you there, Mr Gourmet, but we were sitting in a back corner so you probably didn't see us.

[Irishgirl]

""What is veal"????? How do you keep a straight face when someone asks you that?"----

What is even worse...when the waiter asks the Kitchen the same question!

I had one last week say to me..."Oh! You can make mayonnaise! I thought that was just something that you bought in the grocery store!"

But with all due respect for good waitstaff out there...So far dine out is a breeze where I work. Although i can relate to the opinion that was expressed that it can be monotonous for staff. I plated the same food all night long.........it's up to the individual to make it interesting. I also agree that going to a restaurant during dine out is not the best time to catch its "Essence"....because owners have a hard time saying no to people in January. We were told that we were booked solid two weeks ago....Now all of a sudden we can fit in another 50 people....

Bis Moreno I have never been to...but I will always give a place a chance.

[Ling]

Some pics of the food (some pics I accidentally uploaded more than once, but I don't think I can delete them, sorry! The picture of the veal and the picture of the squash rissotto amuse bouche was actually from West restaurant...I am making so many mistakes tonight!)

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...album&album=666

[FannyBay]

Just got back from my DOV at Bis Moreno--we had reservations at 7pm and got home before 8:30pm.

This is what I chose:

house-made spinach and tomato ravioli with porcini and tomato sauce

pork cheeks with candied root vegetables

gingerbread with roast apples, chantilly cream

This is what my bf had:

cannelli bean soup with scrampi crostini

roast quail with parmasan rissotto

gingerbread with roast apples, chantilly cream

We both had the Quail's Gate 2002 Riesling and the Township 7 Merlot (suggested wine pairings for the appetizers and mains.)

The best dish of the evening was definitely the ravioli, and the quail and rissotto was also quite good. Although the pork cheeks were tender, they weren't very flavourful. I was quite disappointed by the gingerbread--it was quite dry, and rather bland. (In other words, it's got nothing on Neil's gingerbread pudding!) It would have been much better if they upped the spices in the recipe, and perhaps the butter too, imo. The roast apple puree didn't do much for the dish, as it was more of a garnish on the plate.

What really soured my evening was the service--my glass was dirty, and no one asked us if we wanted any more wine until we were almost finished with our main course. It was kind of disheartening when the table next to us seemed to get much better service--the server talked to them about the wine, showed them the bottle, refilled their bread without their asking, etc.--basically all the things that makes for a good experience. I felt that our dinner was hurried, because our plates were whisked away the moment we were done, and our next course set before us. The server did not ask us how we found our food, etc. I didn't order coffee after dessert because by that point, we both wanted to get out of there.

Anyway, enough complaining. I didn't think Bis Moreno was a very good value, and I most likely won't be dining there again.

←

We were in Bis Moreno for dinner last night before the Symphony, we can finally go there pre-theatre now that they changed their menu format to include regular menus so there are no longer just those set menu's. It was great to be able to eat just a couple of light dishes as I didn't have lunch yesterday until 2:00 pm and nice we can start going their for non "special" occasions when we only have an hour or so to eat. We have been in enough to consider ourselves regulars and chatted with the owner's wife about the stuff that was written about them on e-gullet. She was aware of the comments and had some very interesting observations...on a positive note, she said it was interesting to read the site as she felt it was a bit of a barometer of how the general public felt about the local dining scene but thought it had gotten a wee bit out of hand with everyone thinking they were now restaurant reviewers thanks to the power a certain local food writer in town bestowed upon them in a recent article. She was less then impressed about all the comments on Dineout, (various restaurants) feeling that peoples expectations were way to high. She commented that they may have made a mistake in going in to Dineout as they just couldn't serve customers the same quality of food and offer the same quality of dining without actually losing money each night for 35.00. They did it because they wanted to introduce the restaurant to a new batch of customers by offering them a "sample" of what they did but realized that people were expecting the same thing they normally served at a 1/3 of the price. She said the customers that came in didn't seem to care, or even know for the most part, that they were being served products that were 10 times the price of similar products available, that the labour in the kitchen was just as high as everything was still made from scratch and that her husband was unhappy that they had taken so many reservations. It wasn't that they were greedy she said, it was just that so many people wanted to dine there and didn't want to say no. I think they are rethinking whether or not they will do it again as they felt they weren't offering the experience and food that they were known for.

Anyway, I ramble. The real reason I posted was because she said something that rather annoyed me and that was that the poster who seemed to start the negative discussion, actually lives in the same building as the restaurant so saying she was home by 8:30 was very unfair (and just a bit unethical) as she never mentioned she was only a elevator ride away. I must say she gave them the impression she was rushed right out by saying that, when in fact she probably wasn't. Mrs. Moreno said that the poster in question had never been in for their regular service and also added that another poster who complained about the food being tasteless was suffering from a severe enough cold that she and the staff actually commented when they first sat that it must be waste to go out when you are both so sick and unable to taste anything. She actually said she wished they had told them she would honour the Dineout reservation another time and sent them home with some chicken soup!

[Ling]

^Yes, that's right--I've posted on this board that I live in the same building where Bis Moreno is located, and unfairly assumed that some of the people reading my review would remember that. I apologize if the owner thought it was unfair that I didn't mention that in my review.

However, I did feel rushed during my dinner, and whether I live in the building or not does not change that. I estimate that we were in the restaurant for about 75 minutes, since I did stop at the corner store for some cream before I got back to my apartment.

I dine out as frequently as I can, and I think I have a pretty good idea of what $35 (excluding wine, tips, etc.) can get me in Vancouver. I thought my review was an honest reflection of that $35 dollars spent; I did not expect that the same $35 would get me a $100 dollar dinner just because it was during DOV.

I did appreciate having the opportunity to try the food at Bis Moreno for only $35.

[Coop]

Ling you are such a trouble maker. Wait until Ms. Skalbania hears you called her salmon cakes dry!

[Ling]

that's me..."trouble" is my middle name

[Daddy-A]

The real reason I posted was because she said something that rather annoyed me and that was that the poster who seemed to start the negative discussion, actually lives in the same building as the restaurant so saying she was home by 8:30 was very unfair (and just a bit unethical) as she never mentioned she was only a elevator ride away. I must say she gave them the  impression she was rushed right out by saying that, when in fact she probably wasn't. Mrs. Moreno said that the poster in question had never been in for their regular service and also added that another poster who complained about the food being tasteless was suffering from a severe enough cold that she and the staff actually commented when they first sat that it must be waste to go out when you are both so sick and unable to taste anything. She actually said she wished they had told them she would honour the Dineout reservation another time and sent them home with some chicken soup!

I think Mrs. Moreno should speak for herself. As of now, this is all hearsay.

That is the beauty of eGullet ... it gives the restaurants a chance to answer comments made by their customers. If they think customers aren't already saying things about them, good or bad, they're dillusional. The difference with eGullet is that there is a much wider audience ... and the audience can talk back.

FannyBay, what about the comment annoyed you? That Mrs. Moreno made it, or the subject of her comments (i.e. Ling). I wasn't quite clear on that.

A.