Location: 1938 W. 4th Avenue, Vancouver (604) 730-5579   
Menu: http://www.gastropod.ca/pdfs/Dinner_Menu.pdf

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Located in one of the coolest Vancouver neigbourhoods, Gastropod has earned a reputation for being creative and innovative. Going into the restaurant with the expectation of seeing interesting dishes like those served at the French Laundry or El Bulli, I was slightly disappointed with the creativity aspect. We picked the Chef’s 5 course tasting menu. The food overall tasted not bad, with the seared Sablefish being the most exceptional. The tasting menu started off with a prosciutto amuse-bouche:

Then followed by an amazing melon-almond gazpacho:

There were two appetizers for each person. The half shell oysters (royal miyagi) with horseradish were very fresh, but ordinary. The seared scallops were cooked just right:

The sablefish was buttery; it was the best dish in the menu.

For the main course, my husband ordered the squab and it turned out to be a mistake. Cooked to medium rare, the squab was bland and gamey. A piece of cake with the texture of fish cake was served with the squab, and the cake didn’t have much taste either. I ordered the lamb for my main course which was beautifully served 4 ways: belly, shoulder, chop and leg. I couldn’t believe how salty the leg was! After taking a small bite, I was immediately reaching for the bread. I couldn’t afford to waste any time to break the chewy crust; I took out the white part and stuffed it into my mouth.

The lamb was also served with a small amount of spätzle. It’s my first time having these tiny irregular rice-size pasta and they blew me away with their texture and taste. I’ll be hunting for them at Bosa soon.

Because we were celebrating for our second wedding anniversary, the pastry chef congratulated us with the “Happy Anniversary” decoration on the sweet raspberry dessert with almond crackers.

Overall we are glad we tried out Gastropod. However, given the many fine dining choices available in Vancouver, it would be awhile before we go back.