Bin 941 Tapas Parlour
Location: Bin 941 Tapas Parlour 
941 Davie Street,
Vancouver BC
604-683-1246
http://www.bin941.com
Author: My Husband
Bin 941 first came to our attention several years ago, when one of Christina’s foodie colleagues spoke in glowing terms about the place. However, this particular colleague was also very effusive with his praise for quite a few other restaurants, and so we added them all to our LIST of places to try. And over the years, other restaurants were added to the LIST, and for no particular reason, Bin 941 never quite made it to the top.
Fast forward to last weekend and we found ourselves on Robson doing some shopping. As Christina is much more… err… professional (yes, that’s it, professional)…than I at that particular activity, she was doing the looking and I was doing the “following”. Now, my fellow “followers” will attest to the fact that one’s mental faculties aren’t overly taxed during the activity of “following”, and so it is the perfect time for us to let our minds wander and think about… well, just about anything else. So I thought about the LIST and mentally checked off the places that we had been to (and that we haven’t blogged about – boy, it will be a job and a half to catch up with all the writing), and then I remembered Bin 941. We were downtown, we didn’t have dinner plans, it was still early enough to get reservations. Great! I whipped out the BB to look up contact information, and put a call through. ‘Sorry, we don’t take reservations’ came the reply from Bin 941, ‘but if you want to come before 6, seating shouldn’t be a problem.’ So, armed with the perfect excuse, I hijacked Christina from shopping, and off we went for dinner.
We knew that bin 941 wasn’t a big space, but we had no idea just how small it was. In fact, we walked right past it and had to double back after we realized our mistake. First impressions are positive. It is a long space, dominated by an open kitchen and a bar along one wall. The other wall was lined with a waiting area (which is in the back as opposed to the front) and several two-tops that could be reconfigured for larger groups. There are two cozy window nooks that would be perfect for groups of two or four, and those would probably be the most popular tables in the place. We arrived there at 5:30, but the restaurant was already hopping. The nooks and two-tops were occupied, so we were seated at the bar.
Bin 941 is referred to as a “tapas parlour”. To be honest, the items on the menu are not so much tapas as downsized mains. When I think tapas, I think of finger foods or single-portion servings, and that wasn’t the case here. But this wasn’t a bad thing – quite the opposite – in fact, as we would soon find out.
We order three “tapatisers” to try, along with a side of pomme frites.
The fries were AWESOME. Prepared shoe-string style, piled high on a plate, and then drizzled with reduced balsamico. These were really crispy, with just the right amount of seasoning. The balsamic vinegar gave it that extra oomph. Good till the last fry – literally.
Next up, Yucatan spice rub bison flat iron steak. We haven’t had bison before and were a little concerned it would be overly tough and gamey. But our server told us it was one of the more popular items on the menu, and convinced us to try it. Good thing she did, because it turned out to be beautiful. Doneness was perfect, meat was tender, and the spice rub imparted a nice smoky flavour. Accompaniments included a spicy jicama salad (more chefs should use this ingredient!) and a roasted pearl onion, which went well with the meat. This dish is a winner.
Next up, a crispy-skin duck breast with a potato hash. This was even better than the bison! The duck was expertly cooked, with the crispy skin playing off the succulent meat. The cranberry sauce provided the hint of sugar that rounded off the duck perfectly. The hash is a mix of crusty potato nuggets, crispy pancetta and spices held together by goat cheese. Yes, it is every bit as good as it sounds.
Finally, mussels in a classic white wine sauce. Fresh, plump meat with forward garlic flavours, immediately followed by the tang of the tomato and white wine. Scrumptious. We polished off everything in the bowl. Our server offered us extra toast to absorb every last bit of the sauce, but we were too stuffed to accept.
So…. conclusion? Every dish was better than the one that came before it. These guys could seemingly do no wrong when it came to the food – quite a few follow diners told us their previous meals here were ’sublime’. Certainly, this was one of those rare meals where our expectations were blown out of the water.
Was everything perfect? Foodwise, pretty much. Service wise, for the most part yes. Our server was very friendly, made some excellent recommendations, and took pretty good care of us through the evening. Where “service” could use a little improvement was the speed with which the dishes came. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time between plates, and while we didn’t mind too much, could certainly use some improvement. Otherwise, Gord Martin – owner and chef – is quite the culinary genius. Bin 941 has a sister restaurant, Bin 942, and that is now on the LIST. I think it is safe to say that Bin 942 is going to make it to the top of said LIST very soon…
Taking baby steps now, we’ll probably get there eventually…
Likewise, I’ve been told that Bin 941 is a place I should definitely try by many of my foodie pals. Bison, I love and probably haven’t had a chance to eat as much as I would like, nice to know its available here. The duck looks superb, wish we could see some of that hash that you described and sounds so tasty! This is a lot of food visually, especially that mountain of fries. Will have to note that when I check it out. Thanks for the great visual review!