Savory Coast Opening

[tarteausucre]

As someone who has been “lurking” on the eGullet forum for quite some time, I thought I would emerge to share a recent dining experience at Romy Prasad’s recently opened Savory Coast. I apologize for the length of my post but its my first!!

Prasad took over the old Settebello’s premises, and has revamped the interior and the menu to create a far more impressive dining experience. The overall effect of the renovation work is a classic, elegant, and warmly inviting room that doesn’t deviate too much from Settebello’s ambience and décor.

However, I would argue that the food is a pleasant departure from that of its predecessor. Savory Coast boasts a very impressive and I would add, extensive menu that ranges from pasta and risotto, land and sea mains, as well as slow cooked entrees. The restaurant’s seafood tanks and its commitment to local ingredients signals a desire to take advantage of the bounty at its disposal. I was fortunate to have dinner there this past Saturday night and came away with memories of flavourful and confident cooking.

I started with a calamari appetizer after being tempted by a daily offering of crab cakes. The calamari, fanned out in flower formation, came with a spicy tomato tapenade. This opener boded well for the dishes to come. My main, the veal osso buco with risotto, was excellent with the veal tender and nuanced in flavour, and with the taste of the risotto heightened by the jus of the meat. My dining companion had the fettuccine with fish and shellfish in a light tomato cream sauce that expertly melded its ingredients together to create a subtle, yet very tasty pasta dish. My dining companion and I also sampled the tripe pappardelle pasta since we couldn’t resist exploring the combination of pasta and tripe. We were happy to discover that the tripe flavours married extremely well with the pappardelle’s tomato sauce!

I ended the meal with a hazelnut mousse layered between caramelized sugar feuilles that was accompanied by a serving of espresso gelato on the side. The mousse was rich and decadent without suffering from the cloying sweetness of some chocolate desserts. I also really enjoyed the combination of the crunch of the sugar layers and the lightness of the mousse. Great pick on my part! As well, I found the service at Savory Coast to be gracious and attentive. We went during the restaurant’s first weekend; I predict that the cooking and the overall dining experience will gain even more confidence as time passes. I have every intention of returning to this establishment, especially since there seems to be a dearth of good fine dining establishments on Robson Street!! Highly recommended!

[canucklehead]

Hey - thanks for the review. I've walked by a couple times and did not know that they had already opened. To be honest - the name 'Savory Coast' just did not click with me. However, any restaurant brave enough to have tripe on their menu has my interest.

Do you know if they do lunch? May pop in for a quick meal one of these days.

[tarteausucre]

Hey - thanks for the review.  I've walked by a couple times and did not know that they had already opened.  To be honest - the name 'Savory Coast' just did not click with me.  However, any restaurant brave enough to have tripe on their menu has my interest.

Do you know if they do lunch?  May pop in for a quick meal one of these days.

←

Yes, I believe they do lunch.

[SBonner]

I'm curious to how the wine list is... the pastry chef is also a sommelier.

Cheers,

Stephen Bonner

[Adesso Chef]

I went to Savory Coast this past Monday to give some support to Chef Romy Prasad, as he visited Adesso a few weeks ago to support us. I started with the Buffalo Carpacio, and a very nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Both were excellent. My next course was the Octopus & Potato salad, which was heavenly.

Following that was a half Penne Amatriciana. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the entire dish had good balance. I finished my evening off with the Vanilla Panna Cotta, and a glass of Moscato D'Asti. The dessert, and wine were a very nice match. Over all, the experience was very good. The service was attentive and sparkling from a friendly smiling staff. You should go!

Ciao

[jhiroshi]

hmmmm nobody seems that interested in the restaurant...

Just thought I'd point out that Tim Pawsey reviewed it in the Sunday courier, and he was effusive in extolling the virtues of Romy Prasad's cooking. His review was very positive, praising the service, atmosphere and wine list as well.

James

[jhiroshi]

Just wondering, how come there is so little interest in Savory Coast on this board?

Is it the location? Prasad's cooking at Cin Cin? I'm interested to know why people have showed so little interest in this opening.

James

[winegeek]

Just wondering, how come there is so little interest in Savory Coast on this board?

Is it the location?  Prasad's cooking at Cin Cin?  I'm interested to know why people have showed so little interest in this opening.

James

←

I'd have to say the location. Settebello was there for a long time and never offered anything for a truly great dining experience. There is a certain stigma to that location. I worked with Romy at Cin Cin (as a server) for 5 years. While he is not one of my "buddies" (to put it mildly), he is a very talented chef. The food he put out at Cin Cin's was fantastic. Don't think I'll go though :)

[Daddy-A]

Just wondering, how come there is so little interest in Savory Coast on this board?

Is it the location?  Prasad's cooking at Cin Cin?  I'm interested to know why people have showed so little interest in this opening.

James,

I did post a review on our visit to Savory Coast here (CLICK)

I'm wondering ... why are you so interested that we're not interested?

A.