Rare

[Ling]

Thanks for posting that.

If the link doesn't last, the food got a 4.5/5 rating.

[Daddy-A]

[host]

I've just moved a few posts over to the discussion in General.HERE is the link to the thread.

Let's please keep the discussion in this thread focussed on Rare - the restaurant & the food.

A.

[/host]

[ozver]

So this is my first review on eGullet, and I a posting it after reading the incredibly interesting side forum based around positive and negative EG reviews stemming from the AG review. Before I get started a little Disclaimer - I am an industry worker who is in the process of entering the oh so fun world of ownership, for these two reasons I was probably way more critical then most. This review is also from the second night the restaurant was open. Despite these two things, and the way I may come off, I had a great night that night, and a great meal.

The night actually begins about 3 nights earlier with my first attempt at an open table reso. We booked for three people and it worked out fine. The principal diners were myself, my girlfriend (whom is also in the industry), and my father who owns 12 restaurants throughout the prairies (tough crowd). The night before the reso we decided to up the numbers, and to try to change to opening night, no luck with the change of nights, but uping the numbers was not a problem.

We arrived the night of and were shown to our table right away. Upon sitting down my father and GF ordered cocktails while I decided (you know, you'd think someone in the industry would realize just how annoying multiple cocktail orders for the same round is). Finally I decided upon a French 75 (having worked with Jay Jones at Nu for the last 5 months I was spoiled on some of the best) and then proceded to the washroom. My GF ordered my cocktail at the table. In the meantime I ran into Chef Fowke and introduced myself having dropped food off to him at nu not a week earlier. In my defence I was unaware it was him at the time or I would have introduced myself then. When I went back to the table I noticed my rather social father had walked over to the "servery" bar area and was chatting up Mr. Keller so I wandered over and joined the conversation. At this time My dad and I were both handed our cocktails while C, My GF waited for hers which was ordered before mine... Realizing our rudeness we returned to the table to enjoy the Amuse of Rabit and Pheasant Pate with Seared Ahi tuna and marinated Mushrooms, the type of which I can't remember. The Ahi was beautiful, and I enjoyed the Mushrooms although the vinegar marinate was a little too strong for my dining companions. The pate however was not such a hit, and I wish I had been instructed to eat the tuna first as the pate had a rather strong flavour which overpowered the flavour of the tuna.

We patiently waited for our menus to be dropped off (at this point I think they were waiting for guests to finish the amuse before dropping them, this may have changed, and IMO I would prefer it sooner, but if I wanted fast food I would have gone to McDonalds). When they were dropped off the server explained that the left and right side were not printed properly in terms of the menu format however we could extrapolate (sp?) what the correct format was based on the center menu. We opted to have a small 3 course meal (having already been to Vij's earlier that night... another story for another time). We ordered, after having been helped by chef Fowke at table side, which was a nice touch. While chef was table side I mentioned that I was intrigued by the Smoked Steelhead caviar, but didn't want something as large as the cauliflower soup it came with, so he said a small taster of just the caviar would be possible. It took a while but the first thing to hit the table was a smaller version of the soup, complete with caviar and it was amazing (a very kind gesture as it was complements of the chef). At this time we ordered our first bottle of wine, it took longer then I would have liked, but a strong love of vino goes hand in hand with the restauratn industry so perhaps it was just my need for wine in the blood (iv hook ups for the next visit...).

The next course we had was the trio of oyster, we each had this as we all love oysters. Tasty little morsels, the only thing I would have changed is that we had three different oysters with three different mignonettes. I would have preferred three different oysters with the same sauce or vice versa, this way I could base each flavour off of a different one. We followed this with Prawns for me, and Scallops for C, dad opted out of this course. Prawns were tasty, if a bit over cooked to my liking, and the scallops were done cevice style if i'm not mistaken. Wonderful texture and interesting flavour. After this was Hedgehog mushroom ravioli with truffle foam (its like someone ripped my dream dish from my head), Frogs legs for Dad, and Quail for C. As one might guess, I loved the Ravioli, and the frogs legs themselves got a great review from dad, however the sauce was bitter and the thyme begniet was fairly firm. C on the other hand said the quail was nice, however the accompaniment was not to her liking. Around this time the music took a wierd turn for the worst, Daft punk remix of Music by Madonna. Something for Yaletown, but for a finer dining environment, it threw me off a little. From this point forward the music stayed rather upbeat, and sometimes entered the realm of Industrial. Finally I finished with the Striploin (10 ounces please, I think I could challenge Ling for the title of healthiest eater), Dad had the Squab, and C had the Sablefish. Squab was nice, but another odd accompaniment (sorry, i'm forgeting what it was), Sablefish was good. Striploin on the other hand was a bit of a dissapointment, it was tough and still cold in the center, by the way it was ordered Medium Rare. The leeks with it were wonderful though.

Pre Ling-era dessert was a little bit less then expected, but keep in mind that I had the opportunity to get my fill from Maureen's desserts at Nu and also love Thierrys desserts at CinCin (i'm a little bit of a chocoholic). The chocolate terrine had a wierd texture, for lack of better words. The guiness feature with guiness ice cream was also not to my liking, but niether is the beer. We also ordered some cheese, which brings me to Quang Dang vs. the Front of House. I personally like servers with lots of personality and confidence, but our server was very restrained the entire evening (but they may be the direction the boys are going for), despite our attempts otherwise. However Quang came to the table to describe the cheese's, and although our fourth (who had arrived at by the mains) tried as best possible to rattle him, he had us laughing and comanded our attention and provided a few minutes of food related entertainment. Cheese's were great as well.

Service was a little slower then expected throughout the evening, as we had to ask to have our wine refilled a few times, and had empty glasses before being asked about a second bottle. We weren't the only table experiencing this as even Mr. Keller, who was dining with a local critic, had to ask for the next course's matching wines with empty glasses on the table. Which brings me to my next point. To quote Wesza

It means principals do not sit down with customers during meal times

however I understand that this was media, but I think that our small service hic-ups would have been less noticable, if not there at all, had Mr. Keller been able to devote his time to the Dining Room. All in All a fun evening with a couple of minor issues. I will be back, and am happy to see someone taking the risks to do something different, to be "Rare".

P.S. Deborah I did very poorly in High school english so try to be nice about my grammar and spelling.

Edited April 5, 2006 by ozver (log)

[*Deborah*]

No worries, Doug, I usually try to just pick on the professionals.

[Ling]

Pre Ling-era dessert

←

Sorry, haven't had a chance to be in lately. Going on vacation this week but I hope to do another shift at Rare very soon.

[appreciator]

Pre Ling-era dessert

←

Sorry, haven't had a chance to be in lately. Going on vacation this week but I hope to do another shift at Rare very soon.

←

heh.... that's great. Good to know that your expertise is getting put to good use. Hopefully all your original suggestions are working out well (no doubt ) and the stations can be manned while you are away.

For myself, I say bring on the cheese! (sorry, not much of a dessert gal but I do so love the old cheese course and the offerings at Rare are second to none).

Edited April 5, 2006 by appreciator (log)

[Chef Fowke]

With all the interest in the main topic and its tangents it seems only right to reopen my webblog to allow this, and other topics, that are not appropriate on eGullet, to develop.

Please feel free to bookmark this link: Rare Blog

[annanstee]

With all the interest in the main topic and its tangents it seems only right to reopen my webblog to allow this, and other topics, that are not appropriate on eGullet, to develop.

Please feel free to bookmark this link: Rare Blog

←

Excellent idea!

[eatvancouver]

Alright I have a few comments and questions not related to recent developments.

I went to Rare a few weeks ago for drinks and to try a couple of the plates mentioned here. I didn't get to talk to Tim or Brian or get the full tour, but the service was friendly and I really enjoyed my visit.

Since then, it's become obvious that to fully appreciate this destination, I'm going to have to try the full chef's choice tasting dinner with wine pairing. Unfortunately, I'm on a budget and I forgot to note the price of this option - I was hoping someone could pass along this information (I was also unable to find it online).

Cheers,

Jason

[annanstee]

Alright I have a few comments and questions not related to recent developments.

I went to Rare a few weeks ago for drinks and to try a couple of the plates mentioned here.  I didn't get to talk to Tim or Brian or get the full tour, but the service was friendly and I really enjoyed my visit.

Since then, it's become obvious that to fully appreciate this destination, I'm going to have to try the full chef's choice tasting dinner with wine pairing.  Unfortunately, I'm on a budget and I forgot to note the price of this option - I was hoping someone could pass along this information (I was also unable to find it online). 

Cheers,

Jason

←

I didn't have it when I was there, but I think it is 65.00

[mtigges]

I have a craving for Rabbit. Some local yahoo chef was going off this morning on the radio about eating an Easter bunny. He didn't sound so weird to me. Fact is, I thought wow that sounds good.

I can't believe you said it 'tastes like chicken.'

Nice job Chef, it was cool to hear your message getting put out there.

Mark.

[Chef Fowke]

I have a craving for Rabbit.  Some local yahoo chef was going off this morning on the radio about eating an Easter bunny.  He didn't sound so weird to me.  Fact is, I thought wow that sounds good.

I can't believe you said it 'tastes like chicken.' 

Nice job Chef, it was cool to hear your message getting put out there. 

Mark.

←

CBC Rocks!

What an easy and fun interview to do ~ and the rabbit saddle and confit of rabbit leg ravioli were tasty!

[hhlodesign]

I had dinner at Rare on Saturday night. It was really quite an exceptional meal. Most of the items on the menu appealed to my personal tastes. Lots of rich meats and interesting preparations!

We starteed with an amuse:

Pickled halibut cheek with rabbit rillettes. Very distinct flavor with the pickled halibut cheek. Like nothing I'd had before. Sour with a touch of sweetness. Nice starter. And the rabbit rilletes were a great accompanyment. just the right amount of richness to follow the halibut. I also loved the texture contrast with the fried cake it was sitting on.

Oysters (closest to furtherst) gigamoto, kusshi, and effingham

Accompanied with 3 separate mignonettes. I'm sorry I only remembered the one I liked the best. The middle one had jalapenos in it, but all three were very tasty. We tried them all alone first. I wish we had more oysters to pair them with.

Morel mushrooms with shallots, butter, and stock (beef or veal?)

Nice hearty flavour. Morels are my favorite mushrooms, and this preparation really celebrated the flavor of the mushrooms alone. Very nice.

Pork belly with hazelnut foam

Very lean for "pork belly". Probably not "belly" in the sense of the Chinese terminology. But very good nonetheless. The meat off the bone was the best part. I had to fight my date for it! She won.

Quail stuffed wtih sweetbreads and boar bacon.

This is the new holy trinity!!!! As much as I loved this dish, I expected to love it even more. These are some of my 3 favorite things on earth. Not that I'm complaining, wonderful full flavors, and great texture to the the bird!

The palatte cleanser was a shot of ginger carrot juice.

The juice was raw with a pretty strong hit of ginger. It was very refreshing and a nice way to change course towards the heavier dishes we had ordered.

We finished with Veal breast confit

Let's put it this way...

I LOVE veal. I LOOOOVE duck fat!!!!!! Any chef that wants to cook veal in duck fat!?!?!?!? This guy is a GOD!!!!!

We finished with caramel foam.

I'm not sure how they made this, as I've never had anything of this consistency before. Very nice finish to a great evening.

I should mention that even with the wonderful dishes we had, the best thing I ate was the homemade foie gras creme brule that Ling made for me and finished at the restaurant. She also made a side of portabellos with port wine reduction tp accompany it. It was as rich and delicious as it sounds!

It's a good thing I live in Seattle, or I'd be at Rare every night!

Good work Brian and Quang!!!!

Edited April 17, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[Ling]

I had dinner at Rare on Saturday night. It was really quite an exceptional meal. Most of the items on the menu appealed to my personal tastes. Lots of rich meats and interesting preparations!

I like the menu very much as well. We had a hard time deciding on what to order, because the restaurant features a number of interesting dishes. We had cocktails at the bar, a bottle of Sauternes, and wine pairings with our meal. Service is quite formal.

Pork belly with hazelnut foam

The pork belly was leaner than what I expected, but I'm guessing this would probably appeal to most diners who find the taste/texture of a full, thick strip of fat off-putting. I like how they included the bone, as everyone knows the meat around the bone is the best part!

Quail stuffed wtih sweetbreads and boar bacon

I liked this dish more than the pork, which is good b/c my date liked the pork more than the quail. I found the quail very flavourful, and the sweetbread stuffing was delicious. The boar bacon quenelles and the surrounding sauce added a nice salty/sweet/tangy element to the dish.

We finished with Veal breast confit

Let's put it this way...

I LOVE veal. I LOOOOVE duck fat!!!!!! Any chef that wants to cook veal in duck fat!?!?!?!? This guy is a GOD!!!!!

The taste of the duck fat was very apparent. This was also my favourite dish! I had a nice piece of luscious fat on top of my portion of the veal as well. Delicious! A fatty cut of meat cooked in fat...what could be better...

Edited April 17, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

The chef invited me and my date for a 12-course dinner with wine pairings on Friday night. We got there at 7pm and enjoyed ourselves for the next 4.5 hours! The food was amazing--we agreed that some of the dishes that we liked so much on our last visit 2 weeks ago tasted even better on Friday night.

We started off with some drinks in the back lounge. The bartender made this on the fly and dubbed it the "Earth" martini (Courvoisier and gin) for our scallop and white cap mushroom amuse.

We noticed that the scallop was only cooked on one side--a technique Henry's chef friends also use in their restaurants to ensure that the scallops are never too cooked.

cauliflower soup, steelhead trout roe, lobster, white truffle oil

This soup has already been highly praised by many EGers, and it lives up to the hype and then some! It was one of our favourites of the evening. I love how the salty, briny roe burst in your mouth.

quail stuffed with sweetbreads, boar bacon ratatouille

Burrowing Owl 04 pinot noir

This was one of my favourites of our last dinner--perhaps we enjoyed it even more this time because the sweetness of the vegetables really came through and brightened up this rich dish. I love getting dishes like this at Rare because the skill and time it takes to make this is far beyond my capabilities--not to mention the ingredient cost when you're only making it for one or two people.

morel mushrooms, shaved spring truffles, pea shoots and pea shoot oil, truffle oil

Cakebread Chardonnay

Love the presentation. The mushrooms were much richer than the dish we had 2 weeks ago, and infinitely more enjoyable (not that the morels 2 weeks ago were shabby in the least! ) The shaved truffles and the truffle oil pushed the morels into the stratosphere of mushroomy perfection. The acidity in the wine paired nicely.

At this point, we moved to the dining room area and the pictures suffer a little because we didn't use the flash. (Dining room was packed, btw.)

tuna sashimi, brocolli, almond

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin brut

I liked the inherent nuttiness of the broccoli with the almonds. The sommelier remembered that we like this particular champagne on our last visit and brought out another bottle for us!

smoked sablefish, red pepper foam

Mission Hill S.L.C. (Sauv. Blanc/Semillon)

This was another standout dish for me. Loved the smoky, buttery flesh!

halibut, eggplant, pea puree

Kim Crawford Sauv. Blanc

This was one of my favourite wine pairings of the night. I know very little about wine, but the Kim Crawford was one of my first Sauv. Blancs and I've always loved the amount of grapefruit on the nose. I thought it brightened the heavier flavours in this fish course.

striped bass, chorizo, ramps, clams

Chateauneuf du Pape 01

I had my first fish and chorizo dish a few weeks ago in Seattle, and I love the combination! And my first ramps of the season...

veal confit, apricot, savoy cabbage puree

Waterbrook Cab. Sauv. 03

The veal breast was leaner this time around. Still delicious.

We had a chocolate bavarois at this point, but forgot to take a picture. It was served with a Chateau Briatte Roudes 02 Sauternes.

caramelized pineapple, lime sorbet

A nice, meaty piece of pineapple and a fabulously smooth and refreshing sorbet. Just what we needed to prepare us for the upcoming cheese course...

...which we forgot to take a picture of. It was beautiful, though, and had Manchego, Humboldt Fog (love that cheese!), Morbier, and candied hazelnuts. We had candied hazelnuts with our cheese course at French Laundry a few weeks ago, and I MUCH preferred this cheese plate to the one at FL. Served with Grahams 10 year port.

Here's a shot of some of the cheeses on the plate.

The last course was described as a chocolate mousse with Irish whiskey foam. (It was a very thick hot chocolate that deserves to be called a mousse. )

Even though we had so much food, I was not overstuffed because the meal was well-paced. Service was attentive as usual, and everyone in the room seemed to be having a great time. Thank-you everyone for such a memorable evening!

Edited May 2, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Daddy-A]

quail stuffed with sweetbreads, boar bacon ratatouille

Burrowing Owl 04 pinot noir

This was one of my favourites of our last dinner--perhaps we enjoyed it even more this time because the sweetness of the vegetables really came through and brightened up this rich dish. I love getting dishes like this at Rare because the skill and time it takes to make this is far beyond my capabilities--not to mention the ingredient cost when you're only making it for one or two people.

I agree with you 100% on this one. This is one dish I crave, which is odd for me. I can genuinely like a dish, but never feel the need to go back for another round. I find myself really looking forward to my next visit just to have the quail & sweetbreads. Damn fine pinot too!

A.

[Ling]

I agree with you 100% on this one.  This is one dish I crave, which is odd for me.  I can genuinely like a dish, but never feel the need to go back for another round.  I find myself really looking forward to my next visit just to have the quail & sweetbreads.  Damn fine pinot too!

A.

←

I can't say enough about the quail dish. It's one of the best things I've eaten this year.

[hhlodesign]

The chef invited me and my date for a 12-course dinner with wine pairings on Friday night. We got there at 7pm and enjoyed ourselves for the next 4.5 hours! The food was amazing--we agreed that some of the dishes that we liked so much on our last visit 2 weeks ago tasted even better on Friday night. 

We started off with some drinks in the back lounge. The bartender made this on the fly and dubbed it the "Earth" martini (Courvoisier and gin) for our scallop and white cap mushroom amuse.

It's tough to pair a cocktail with something like this scallop dish. I think it worked pretty well.

We noticed that the scallop was only cooked on one side--a technique Henry's chef friends also use in their restaurants to ensure that the scallops are never too cooked.

I really enjoyed this dish. The scallop was perfectly cooked. Mistral in Seattle just sears one side and lets the heat from the sauce, or soup, just slightly cook the other side. The sauce in this dish was very nice!

cauliflower soup, steelhead trout roe, lobster, white truffle oil

This soup has already been highly praised by many EGers, and it lives up to the hype and then some! It was one of our favourites of the evening. I love how the salty, briny roe burst in your mouth. 

Loved this dish. My favorite of the night. really liked hte presentation and the fact that it stayed hot. Good balance of flavors.

quail stuffed with sweetbreads, boar bacon ratatouille

Burrowing Owl 04 pinot noir

This was one of my favourites of our last dinner--perhaps we enjoyed it even more this time because the sweetness of the vegetables really came through and brightened up this rich dish. I love getting dishes like this at Rare because the skill and time it takes to make this is far beyond my capabilities--not to mention the ingredient cost when you're only making it for one or two people.

Also a favorite of the night. We both enjoy game meats and rich flavors. This dish had all we were looking for. Not to mention a beautiful presentation. I like the two servings on one plate for us to share.

morel mushrooms, shaved spring truffles, pea shoots and pea shoot oil, truffle oil

Cakebread Chardonnay

Love the presentation. The mushrooms were much richer than the dish we had 2 weeks ago, and infinitely more enjoyable (not that the morels 2 weeks ago were shabby in the least!  ) The shaved truffles and the truffle oil pushed the morels into the stratosphere of mushroomy perfection. The acidity in the wine paired nicely.

I've never had Spring Trufffles before. They ar not as pungent as normal truffles I've had in the past. Beautiful presentation of this dish. The cakebread Chard just happeneed to be my favorite from a tasting we expereinced at the winery in Napa less than a month ago. It was pure coincidence that they chose to serve it to us tongiht.

At this point, we moved to the dining room area and the pictures suffer a little because we didn't use the flash. (Dining room was packed, btw.)

tuna sashimi, brocolli, almond

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin brut

I liked the inherent nuttiness of the broccoli with the almonds. The sommelier remembered that we like this particular champagne on our last visit and brought out another bottle for us! 

Love the Clicquot!

smoked sablefish, red pepper foam

Mission Hill S.L.C. (Sauv. Blanc/Semillon)

This was another standout dish for me. Loved the smoky, buttery flesh!

It was niceto try many BC wines that i haven't really been drinking in the past. I love sablefish. My date pointed out that it is also known as black cod. As if i didn't know that already! 

I wonder if she knows that its also butterfish. 

halibut, eggplant, pea puree

Kim Crawford Sauv. Blanc

This was one of my favourite wine pairings of the night. I know very little about wine, but the Kim Crawford was one of my first Sauv. Blancs and I've always loved the amount of grapefruit on the nose. I thought it brightened the heavier flavours in this fish course.

Nice pea puree to go with the Halibut, and I really enjoyed this wine as well. BC?

striped bass, chorizo, ramps, clams

Chateauneuf du Pape 01

I had my first fish and chorizo dish a few weeks ago in Seattle, and I love the combination! And my first ramps of the season... 

I'm a big fan of CdP, and it went very well with this hearty fish course. I also lvoe the chorizo and hearty fish combo!

veal confit, apricot, savoy cabbage puree

Waterbrook Cab. Sauv. 03

The veal breast was leaner this time around. Still delicious.

I liked the last time better as well. But still very good. No Great! No matter how fatty the veal breast is, it's still cooked in duck fat! How can it not be great!

We had a chocolate bavarois at this point, but forgot to take a picture. It was served with a Chateau Briatte Roudes 02 Sauternes.

caramelized pineapple, lime sorbet

A nice, meaty piece of pineapple and a fabulously smooth and refreshing sorbet. Just what we needed to prepare us for the upcoming cheese course...

Good flavors and textures. And went great with the sauternes.

...which we forgot to take a picture of.  It was beautiful, though, and had Manchego, Humboldt Fog (love that cheese!), Morbier, and candied hazelnuts. We had candied hazelnuts with our cheese course at French Laundry a few weeks ago, and I MUCH preferred this cheese plate to the one at FL. Served with Grahams 10 year port.

Here's a shot of some of the cheeses on the plate.

Sorry, i forgot to take apicture of the cheese plate 

The last course was described as a chocolate mousse with Irish whiskey foam. (It was a very thick hot chocolate that deserves to be called a mousse.  )

A perfect way to end a perfect meal with the perfect girl. 

Even though we had so much food, I was not overstuffed because the meal was well-paced. Service was attentive as usual, and everyone in the room seemed to be having a great time. Thank-you everyone for such a memorable evening!

←

Just want to point out that the service was impeccable. Lorna and I grilled the servers pretty hard, because we wanted to know everything about each item on the plate. I think only one time did the server have to go back into the kitchen to ask. The wine pairings were extremely generous. Some very nice wines that I felt privaledged to try with such a great meal.

Thanks Brian, Quang, and Tim!

Edited May 2, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[Ling]

smoked sablefish, red pepper foam

Mission Hill S.L.C. (Sauv. Blanc/Semillon)

It was niceto try many BC wines that i haven't really been drinking in the past. I love sablefish. My date pointed out that it is also known as black cod. As if i didn't know that already! 

I wonder if she knows that its also butterfish. 

Of course I do. What do you take me for--a non-foie-gras-eatin'-vegan from Seattle?!!

halibut, eggplant, pea puree

Kim Crawford Sauv. Blanc

I really enjoyed this wine as well. BC?

If you were paying attention, you would have heard me say it's from New Zealand, where many Sauv. Blancs are produced.

chocolate mousse with Irish whiskey foam.

A perfect way to end a perfect meal with the perfect girl. 

Well, I'm not going to argue with that!

[BCinBC]

What is happening here? I am having a simultaneous desire to eat at Rare and brush my teeth.

[D90]

On Sunday my friend P and I made it out to Rare for wonderful 3 hour dinner. When we got there we where greeted by Tim and seated near the front window. The second thing I noticed after the wall paper was that even though the room was full it was quite and you felt like you had adequate privacy.

The service was friendly and impeccable; the dishes and drinks were carefully explained. The service was so attentive that they would speed up or slow down the service based on what they noticed from us, it demonstrates the high level of communication between the front and back of the house, which few restaurants have.

Now for the meal; it was a privilege to taste some of Brian and his staff’s creations, they were consistent, well presented, with a nice mix of textures and flavors.

*It’s been a few long days since dinner so there is a good chance that some of my description will be lacking detail or completely wrong. A few pictures are also missing, and some dishes mutilated showing how anxious we were to dig in.

Meal Time:

After speaking Brian (the sommelier) he recommended a bottle of Cave Springs Reserve Riesling, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Well balanced acidity, off dry, with just the right amount of flavors for my taste.

A generous piece of melt in your mouth delicate foie gras goodness on top of chanterelle mushrooms, a roasted baby onion, and a poached pear or apple topped with shaved black truffles. A great start to a meal and one of my favorite dishes of the night.

A perfectly poached lobster claw on top of slow cooked leak, which I love.

Tomato sauce top by layers of crispy slices of prosciutto and honey mascarpone cheese I believe it was. Even though it was one bite it was amazing, I wish it was larger.

Bread and orange butter, personal I love orange but did not care for it in my butter.

Pan fried pacific oysters ~ roasted red peppers ~ chorizo vinaigrette. I did not try this dish but P said it was huge and reminded her more of schnitzel then an oyster.

Cauliflower soup ~ truffles ~ lobster salad ~ smoked steelhead caviar. Another dish I would order again, but I would ask to omit the steelhead caviar, just a personal preference.

(not pictured) At this point we were given an intense tea like shooter of orange and vanilla, which I enjoyed and probably would have liked it more if it was not scolding hot. I don’t think P enjoyed it though.

Veal breast confit ~ slow cooked savoy cabbage ~ apricots. I tried it a little of this dish and it was good, P said it reminded her of something her mom would put in an Asian soup and I would have to agree.

Pepper crusted Canadian Striploin ~ slow cooked leeks ~ fondant potatoes. A nice piece of meat and fatty goodness, once again the leeks were great but I didn’t care much for the potatoes.

(not pictured) Pre Dessert.

Paired with our dessert we had a glass of Buller Tawny Port and Muscat which worked nicely with the dessert and could have been considered dessert on their own.

Guinness Pudding: anglaise ~ caramel ~ caramel ice cream.

Chocolate: White hot Chocolate and grand marnier, ganache, mousse, cake, brownie, covered strawberries. Thumbs up on the use of Michel Cluizel 66% chocolate, but my favorite was the hot white chocolate and grand marnier, it would make a prefect start or finish to any cold day.

(not pictures) A fabulous cup of wild Ethiopian coffee. P is more of a coffee drinker then I am and she commented that this was one of the better coffees she has had. I will update later with the name, I have it written down at home.

Rare Cheeses Platter: chaumes ~ manchego ~ applewood cheddar ~ les reserves du chateau camembert ~ reine des caprins. I was tempted to ask them to toss the apple wood cheddar into a grilled cheese sandwich along with some grainy mustard but I refrained. A prefect ending to a great meal.

We left (waddled away) the restaurant spoiled and satisfied and isn’t that what hospitality is all about?

I defiantly will be back to Rare for their 6 course tasting menu in the near future, and already looking forward to their next venture even though I have only been to Rare once. Thanks Tim, both Brian's and the rest of the rare team for a wonderful evening.

Edited January 27, 2007 by D90 (log)

[HKDave]

Nice report. If you don't like the steelhead caviar, just tell them to leave it off and I'll be by to pick it up later!

What was that dish that looks bacon-and-egglike? I think there's a caption missing.

[Matt R.]

Lovely plating, indeed. I especially like the (over)use of chervil. I wish this was more readily available, as it is one of my favourite herbs to use as a garnish.

-- Matt.

[Mark Donnelly]

D90

What was the damage to your wallet if I should be so crude?

[nwyles]

Lovely plating, indeed.  I especially like the (over)use of chervil.  I wish this was more readily available, as it is one of my favourite herbs to use as a garnish.

-- Matt.

←

If you need some chervil, call Brian, he has lots..............he loves the stuff!