Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge

[surfer_dream]

Outstanding applause!! Finally something new and well done for Vancouver!

[Chocoholic]

I went there last night with some friends to check the place out. The room is very impressive, a cavernous space with Arabic style chandeliers, long banners and alcoves full of candles. While waiting for our table we spent some time debating how they light these candles every night since some of them are a good 8-10 feet off the ground. The big open space also means it is loud and boisterous, definitely not the spot for a quiet romantic dinner but more for a group's night out, especially given the type of menu they offer.

Everything comes in trios of little dishes on wooden planks. The menu offers themes, 'beef', 'scallop', 'lamb', etc. For example, order the beef and you will get a braised short rib on lentils, a daikon salad with small strips of tenderloin and two ravioli filled with minced beef in a cream sauce. There were four of us so we ordered six items, resulting in 18 dishes being offered up. This resulted in a table that was jammed with food and people busy reaching and spilling food all over the place. They definitely have to find the pacing for this, after a fairly long wait without much at all we suddenly found our table overflowing with food.

The food was good though, the plates interesting and with lots of different flavours and combinations. The eastern/oriental theme of the room isn't really reflected in the food, it was more a tour of modern west-coast/Asian with some mediterranean bits thrown into the mix.

Desserts come in the same trio fashion, I liked the baked yoghurt with cardamom, the merengue and passionfruit rice/chocolate sushi roll.

The bar serves suitably eclectic Martinis, I didn't spend a lot of time looking at the wine list but it has some serious champagne on it. No doubt the owner of the $350,000 Ferrari parked in front was sipping on one of those. That brings me to the crowd, maybe it is the Yaletown pedigree (the owners also run Glowbal and Coast) but the place was filled with expensive looking people wanting to be seen, plenty of cosmetic surgery and g-strings were on display. The bouncers/greeters in front of the door fit right in with the burly nature of the lower Granville area the place is located in, between Helmcken and Nelson.

Worth a visit, on a boys or girls night out where a party atmosphere and a steady flow of alcoholic beverages are imporant!

[LordBalthazar]

Whenever I hear the words "in" or "hot" used to decribe a restaurant, I can't help but expect the worst. These trendy establishments inevitably boast a beautiful staff to compliment the equally beautiful decor - and food that is usually an after-thought. Of course, I seem to be in the minority as I know many people who rave about places like that Cole Harbour hotspot my wife less-than-affectionately refers to as "Earls on the Water", or that new generation Chinese restaurant with their failed experiments in five-spice.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I agreed to check out Sanifir, the "new hotspot on downtown Granville". Our fellow diners were eager to go and, hey, I'm a fairly open-minded guy (unless we're talking about shepherd's pie, reality shows with dancing contestants, or fruit in my dessert - but more on this later). I made the quick and easy reservations via Opentable.com, and we arrived shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sanafir's location isn't exactly upscale - which would explain the bouncer stationed outside the entrance as we left, or the fact that I got hit up for change twice in the time it took me to walk from the valet to the restaurant. Some would even describe the surroundings as downright seedy. But the second you step through that front door, you enter an oasis of Middle Eastern sophistication. The place is spacious and beautiful.

The four of us were seated at a roomy booth that could well have complimented twice as many, and we were welcomed to Sanafir by our server. She handed out the menus, took our drink order, and prepared us for the unique dining experience to come. As outlined in the previous post, the menu is divided into different choices: Beef, Tuna, Chicken, Pork, Prawn, Lamb, Scallop and Vegetarian. Each of these choices is comprised of a trio of different tapas selections (although I believe it is possible to mix and match as I noticed a neighboring table had ordered three identical beef tapas). In addition, larger side dishes are offered. We went with two of these side dishes - a fantastic hummus boasting chunks of the sweet roasted garlic, and an equally incredible lobster risotto. They accompanied our foray into a impressive array of dishes, 12 in all, covering the five basic food groups. Yes: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and tuna. Given the wide variety of dishes, you would assume there would be just as many hits as misses - but, to my surprise, the items we sampled ranged from very good to excellent. Highlights included the braised lamb shank with Vidalia onion confit, the pork pakora, and beef-stuffed ravioli with white truffle cream and shaved black truffle.

The evening would have been perfect - if not for the dessert trio: a fruit and chocolate sushi roll, a cardamom yogurt topped with what I believe was a grapefruit granite, and some meringue berry thing. Not one fruitless offering in the bunch. Our server was kind enough to offer to rustle up a biscotti for me, but I politely declined. "I'll pick up a doughnut on the way home,"I told her.

Two servings of lobster risotto, an order of hummus, five main menu items (three dishes a piece for a grand total of 15 tapas plates), and a couple of bottle of sparkling water came out to a little under $150 including tip. Not bad at all.

Service was exceptional - polished, professional, and friendly. After our meal, we were given a tour of the upstairs lounge with its low tables and comfy beds. Definitely a fun place to hang out with friends. BYOJ (Bring Your Own Jammies).

[waylman]

That brings me to the crowd, maybe it is the Yaletown pedigree (the owners also run Glowbal and Coast) but the place was filled with expensive looking people wanting to be seen, plenty of cosmetic surgery and g-strings were on display.

Thanks for that...I'll avoid this place like the plague.

[wildebeest]

That brings me to the crowd, maybe it is the Yaletown pedigree (the owners also run Glowbal and Coast) but the place was filled with expensive looking people wanting to be seen, plenty of cosmetic surgery and g-strings were on display.

Thanks for that...I'll avoid this place like the plague.

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Shouldn't Sanafir be judged on its food, service and ambiance? Is it the proprietors fault that he created a room that people want to be seen in? Lord Balthazaar comments showed that this venue offers excellent food and service with good value. I noticed that they had sparkling water as their beverage, no booze. That is like rolling the dice in some restaurants as far as attentive service goes, but apparently not with their server, she delivered. I for one will not avoid it like the plague but will wait for the opening rush to subside or better yet to go down on Sunday or Monday night when I can experience the restaurant not the "it" crowd, I get enough of that living in Yaletown.

[makanmakan]

We were there last Thursday night and it was packed to the rafters, practically. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the menu, both food and drink, the service and quality of food we had. The wine list is small but very nice and the coctail list is very interesting. I started with the "desert rose" which was a citrus and rose vodka mixed with something which I can't recall. It was slightly sweet and had an interesting flavour...very good. My partner had a coctail that included pureed figs, also very good. The group then moved onto the wines....which is why I can't quite remember the drink details.

For the food, we ordered a lamb trio and a trio from the bottom of the page where you can mix and match. The lamb came first and the star of the trio was the carpaccio with a pile of slaw on top. The lamb was flavourfull, tender and the slaw a good match of flavours. The other trio incudluded a prawn dish, ahi tuna spring roll, and an oxtail stuffed pasta with a truffle cream sauce. The oxtail was superb. The filling was melt in your mouth and satisfyingly savoury and the sauce was like crack!

The room was gorgeous, and it gets better as it gets dark out. I do have to agree with the above, with regards to the "scene" there. Next time we go, it'll definitely be early on a Monday or Tuesday. My only irk that night was that our table was a large square shape, and we were only able to sit on 3 sides of it. Not very condusive to a group conversation when the noise of the room grew. This only bugged me as we were with friends that were visiting from abroad and weren't able to talk to everyone. Little irk, that's all.

[bccoati]

A week ago, we made a reservation for tonight. We thought it would be a relatively quiet time to try out his restaurant on a weeknight. Plus it's close to the Orpheum where we'll be going tonight. Two days ago, they suddenly remembered that the restaurant is booked for a private event until 7pm tonight. I guess it will be awhile before we can try this place out.

[waylman]

A week ago, we made a reservation for tonight.  We thought it would be a relatively quiet time to try out his restaurant on a weeknight.  Plus it's close to the Orpheum where we'll be going tonight.  Two days ago, they suddenly remembered that the restaurant is booked for a private event until 7pm tonight.  I guess it will be awhile before we can try this place out.

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Money talks I guess eh? To address my previous post about avoiding this place like the plague...it was in reference to the Yaletown crowd as well as the fact that the owners also run Glowbal and Coast. In my opinion, those two restaurants are horrible. I cannot stand the pretentious Yaletown crowd and design in these restaurants. If the food was good, I could get past it, but that's not even the case. Thank God for the South Main 'hood!

[wildebeest]

I hate to say it but I agree with you and I live in Yaletown. What I like about Yaletown is that I know the name of my doctor, dentist, dry cleaner, barista, insurance agent and that they know my name, makes it feel like a small town. It is a trade off for bumping elbows with those that feel it is neccessary to wear sunglasses indoors hours after the sun goes down but this is about food so back to it. I am hoping that with Sanafir taking away some of the customers that use Glowbal as a nightclub and a place to be seen that they will go back to being the restaurant that they were when they first opened. James is a talented chef at Glowbal and has a fantastic resume with Bocuses d'Or etc. I have not had a meal at Coast so I can't comment. Still waiting for a meal at Sanafir on a night where I am not getting jostled. I promise to report back about it.

Edited June 23, 2006 by wildebeest (log)

[LordBalthazar]

I have never been to Coast, but a few of my friends have and their takes were less than positive. Glowbal is a fine place for lunch. My wife and I went for dinner once and she was served a chicken that was so suffused with herb flavor that she has refused to go back. As for Sanafir - as I wrote in my review, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. It was great. The service was equally great. And while, yes, the "beautiful people" do put on a show, I see them more as a source of amusement than a point irritiation.

Edited June 23, 2006 by LordBalthazar (log)

[LordBalthazar]

Went back the other night with guests. The food and the service were as good as the first time we went. And the desserts are still as disappointing.

[barolo]

Mia Stainsby gives it four stars (4 each for food and ambience and 3.5 for service) in today's Sun:

Tasty dishes come in threes at Yaletown spot

The food and interior follow the "silk route" in design and flavour hits of Asia, India and the Mediterranean. Evoke International Design mixed a modernist sensibility with Middle Eastern accents. In the upstairs lounge area, there are king-sized "beds" dressed in dramatic pillows, but don't go and get all sleazy on them, please.

....

You can think of restaurants like clothing. Some look good on you, others make you look frumpy. Sanafir makes you look good, even on the cube seat. The food's interesting and the place is a great social scene.

[Ling]

That's awesome...I have reservations for tomorrow.

[Ling]

We had dinner at Sanafir with two friends last night, but didn't order that much food as they had eaten a late lunch. (My boyfriend and I had another dinner elsewhere afterwards).

The room is gorgeous, the service was great (informal, attentive and friendly, a nice fit for the restaurant), but the food left something to be desired.

We ordered the pork, lamb, beef, and tuna trios, the lobster risotto, and the dessert trio and a round of cocktails. I had the Coco (blue curaco, peach, champagne) and that was my favourite of ones we tried. There were no years listed next to the wines by the glass, which I found rather odd.

I thought the food was beautifully and artistically presented, especially since each trio was so inexpensive. You can view the pictures of the food here: Sanafir dinner

First up was the tuna trio--ahi spring roll, mango, shiso leaf, strawberry ginger salsa; smoked albacore loin, saffron celeriac puree, microgreens; seared big eye, thai black rice, lemongrass cream. There were a lot of flavours going on in each dish, and none of them really worked for us. The accompaniments were all so strong and busy that the tuna was relegated into the background. I especially disliked the tuna roll because the sauce was so sweet.

Next came the lamb and beef together. Of the lamb, 2 of the 3 were good--we enjoyed the lamb chop, napoleon of eggplant, goat cheese, tomato (although it would be rather hard to mess up such a simple dish) and the seared rare loin with vegetables and herb/shallot dressing. The loin was thinly sliced and the crunchy texture of the julienned veg was quite nice. The lamb shank was less successful--if you click on the photos, you'll see it looks rather dry...there was little sauce served with it, and it seemed as if the shank was braised and then left out in the open for a long time, or at maybe roasted to finish because it's quite impossible for a braised meat dish to be so dry...isn't it?

The beef trio was not bad. I liked the oxtail cappelletti with Parm Reggiano and truffle and the beef tataki was also tasty. The braised short rib and lentils didn't have that depth of flavour we look for, and though it said it came with chantrelles on the menu, it was enoki on the plate.

The lobster risotto was the worst dish of the night. There was maybe a tablespoon of lobster meat diced up and folded into the risotto, and the shrimp I ate was fishy-tasting. I know from EG that it's pretty difficult for a restaurant to make risotto to order, but surely I have had much better risotto anywhere else. Each grain of rice was so swollen with stock, yet still a bit hard as if someone had dumped in a lot of liquid to start the cooking process and just let the rice absorb all that it could, but still yanked it from the heat too early. Not to mention there was not much lobster flavour in the rice. The lack of creaminess of the poorly-executed dish was "fixed" by the ton of cream they added at the end.

The pork trio was OK, with the pork pakora being the tastiest of the three. There was little meat and sauce and a lot of bun in the Asian interpretation, and the grilled pork saddle (with potato puree and tomato jam) was rather dry.

Dessert was also OK. We enjoyed the baked cardamom yogurt, and the berry meringue napoleon was also quite nice, if unremarkable. The chocolate fruit sushi roll tasted about as good as it looks and sounds...

All in all, I feel kind of strange being the lone dissenting opinion...but I'd have to honestly say nothing blew me away, and the few dishes that were good were at the same time nothing extraordinary. I'd give the food a 6/10.

[barolo]

All in all, I feel kind of strange being the lone dissenting opinion...but I'd have to honestly say nothing blew me away, and the few dishes that were good were at the same time nothing extraordinary. I'd give the food a 6/10.

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Aside from the lack of really exciting dishes, do you think the idea of the "trios" works? Do the different styles and flavours add interest or just create a muddled and confusing meal?

I have to admit it sounds gimmicky to me and the food sounds excessively complicated, but that may just reflect my preference for classic and simple.

[Ling]

Aside from the lack of really exciting dishes, do you think the idea of the "trios" works?  Do the different styles and flavours add interest or just create a muddled and confusing meal? 

I have to admit it sounds gimmicky to me and the food sounds excessively complicated, but that may just reflect my preference for classic and simple.

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I think the trios at Sanafir, using different parts of the animal (or different varieties, like the tuna trio), is more interesting than, say, Michael Mina's, where they use three cuts of the same meat and serve different accompaniments. (I ate at Michael Mina a few months ago, and though I didn't have any problem with the trio concept, but the food wasn't good.) I do like smaller portions, more dishes, and agree with Keller's theory of diminishing returns.

I have no issue with the whole trio concept, but the flavour combinations in the tuna trio didn't work for me, and some of the other dishes (like the short rib, the lamb shank, the pork bun, the lobster risotto) were either just poorly cooked, or lacking in flavour.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Ling (log)

[LordBalthazar]

As someone who occasionally enjoys making a meal of a selection of starters, I love the notion of "trios". It offers up an incredible variety of fairly creative dishes.

Ling, I'm surprised you didn't enjoy your visit. I've been twice and, on both occasions, thoroughly enjoyed my meals (the lobster risotto on both occasions was an overwhelming table favorite). I'm also surprised you gave Michael Mina's the thumbs down. It's another restaurant (both the SF and Vegas branches) that has yet to disappoint me.

All in all, I feel kind of strange being the lone dissenting opinion...but I'd have to honestly say nothing blew me away, and the few dishes that were good were at the same time nothing extraordinary. I'd give the food a 6/10.

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Aside from the lack of really exciting dishes, do you think the idea of the "trios" works? Do the different styles and flavours add interest or just create a muddled and confusing meal?

I have to admit it sounds gimmicky to me and the food sounds excessively complicated, but that may just reflect my preference for classic and simple.

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[Ling]

^The bad risotto could've just been that one night we were in. At the same time, I don't think the lobster risotto we got should have been fit to send out of the kitchen. I've made risotto countless times so I think I'm a fairly good judge of whether that dish was done well or not. The risotto you got on your visits could have been much better for all we know.

Regarding Michael Mina...I was there with five other diners (one of them was Ena) and as I recall, we were all a bit disappointed considering the price. Here's a link to the Micahel Mina post...the thread also contains pictures and comments about Chez Panisse Cafe, French Laundry, Don Giovanni, and more. San Fran trip

Edited July 12, 2006 by Ling (log)

[PaoPao]

A few weeks ago we had dinner with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday at Sanafir. There were nine of us so between everyone we ordered everything on the menu. My personal preference for meals is to give me my own plate, with a decent quantity of what I ordered so that I can fully enjoy it. Small plates, trios, etc., is ok but I never feel satisfied. Anyway, the food in general was mediocre as far as our groups and my opinion. Nothing that stood out that made me think that I have to have that again, yet nothing bad either.

The room I thought was very cool, a bit noisy for my liking, but interesting.

This is just another restaurant that was interesting to try, and most likely unless a friend really wants to go there, won't be back.

Edited July 12, 2006 by PaoPao (log)

[Ducky]

I'm with Pao Pao on this.

We went to see what all the fuss was about. And now we know.

The food underwhelmed us in every respect. The concepts are interesting - but the execution is flawed. Our dishes all looked far better than they tasted. Our servers also all looked better than they served. In fact the whole place looked better than it actually was.

Smoke and mirrors.

[surfer_dream]

wow, everyone likes to be a critic... it is just so interesting that of those on board who criticize - what accolades and culinary attributes do they have that people should actually listen to them - oh, the risotto is not to my liking, should not have come out of the kitchen??  i really don't get it...

Rare took on the same abuse when they opened, maybe we all should be critics and contact the Globe and Mail since our palates our set so high on some unknown pedestal.

The place is packed full of a very trendy fickle crown - i have been three times and the food was great - though a little pushy with table out times - they make it work!

i am sure it is not an easy process.

I'm with Pao Pao on this.

We went to see what all the fuss was about. And now we know.

The food underwhelmed us in every respect. The concepts are interesting - but the execution is flawed. Our dishes all looked far better than they tasted. Our servers also all looked better than they served. In fact the whole place looked better than it actually was.

Smoke and mirrors.

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[*Deborah*]

wow, everyone likes to be a critic... it is just so interesting that of those on board who criticize - what accolades and culinary attributes do they have that people should actually listen to them - oh, the risotto is not to my liking, should not have come out of the kitchen??  i really don't get it...

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I would say that "X was not to my liking" is the most basic and honest criticism possible, and as valid from a 5-year-old as from a Michelin-starred chef.

Taste is subjective, last I heard.

[transfattyacid]

i am sure it is not an easy process.

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The process of getting text in block quotes, or providing a service for which a bill is presented ? cough

Edited July 17, 2006 by transfattyacid (log)

[Dumpling Girl]

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[Ling]

wow, everyone likes to be a critic... it is just so interesting that of those on board who criticize - what accolades and culinary attributes do they have that people should actually listen to them - oh, the risotto is not to my liking, should not have come out of the kitchen??  i really don't get it...

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OK, so we should all shut up and only believe what food critics write. Then we can blindly follow them to new restaurants, and, after dining, formulate exactly the same opinions as said food writers.

That's kind of funny, since as I was making my way to the bathroom at Sanafir, I ran into a restauranteur and he asked me how I liked my dinner. I told him honestly how I felt and he encouraged me to post it, saying how feedback from everyday diners help him (and his kitchen) re-think and improve the food at his own restaurant.

So I might not be professionally trained, but I daresay I'm a pretty decent home cook and I've dined out at a number of restaurants over the years. A lot of people have PMed me since I've joined EG to tell me they like reading what I have to say, and lots of people have said the same to me in person. I would like to think that EG is as much for professional critics as the average diner/home cook with a passion for food.

Edited July 17, 2006 by Ling (log)