Vancouver Restaurant: Bistro 101

After a month's hiatus it's time to celebrate because I am back!  I went to Bistro101 to celebrate a friend's birthday and treat myself to a fine dining culinary delight.  The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts on Granville Island prepares future chefs for the world of fine dining.  Bistro101 is an elegant fine dining experience at an affordable price.  Be sure to make your reservations ahead of time because they are busy and I'm fortunate I made my reservation three weeks in advance.  Now let's get to the good stuff which is the food.  The dinner menu provides three options each for appetizer, entree, and dessert.

My experience began with choosing one of the Wine Flights options.  You can taste three types of wines for $10 a flight.  The last time I had a wine flight tasting experience was in a wine shop in Vegas.  So this was great to be able to have this experience in BC.  My favourite was the bubbly rose - wish I knew what it was so you'll have to go to Bistro101 yourself to try it out. 

First comes your appetizers.  I chose Foi Gras.  To be honest I didn't know what it was but it sounded fancy and something I would not be able to easily find on menus.  As Wikipedia says "Foi Gras is a popular and well-known delicacy."  I would agree it was flavourful and unique. 

Another appetizer option was samosa with chickpeas. 

For the entree options, it would not be a surprise that I am a meat lover and chose Braised Lamb Shank.  It was tender and juicy.  The orzo complemented it nicely because the lamb juices were so flavorful.  

Another entree option was Sablefish with pea sauce as pictured below.

Last but not least in the 3-course dinner was the dessert.  I have photos of the dessert but I cannot remember what each one was.  Mine was a rich chocolate cake with raspberry puree.  The menu had a fancier name that I don't remember.  Too often we eat what we know and it is great to experience the culinary unknown. 

If my photos tempt your tastebuds, I would recommend that you make your reservation for Bistro101 today.  Remember that they have reserved parking in the evening for Bistro101 customers.