Location: Market by Jean-Georges 
Shangri-la Hotel, 1128 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver
Website
Author: My Husband
Monday Feb 9, 3pm-ish. I was in the office, ensconced in the glass-walled war room with several members of my team, all of whom were guys save one. The team had just surfaced for air after spending an eternity submerged in work minutiae, and the topic of discussion turned to just about ANYTHING other than work.
Most of us were sprawled backwards on our seats, arms folded behind our heads, raised legs resting comfortably against the conference table, chatting away and feeling pretty relaxed. Just then, one of the secretaries walked by holding a brightly-coloured potted plant, and the lone female member of the team piped up with, “Oooh, that’s a nice flower. Speaking of flowers, hey, what are you guys doing for Valentines Day?”
My friend and colleague D sat up so quickly the spring-loaded backrest of his chair almost threw him right off it. “What?!! Is it Valentines already? I totally forgot about it!” exclaimed D, eyes wide open. This was then followed by sighs and much head-shaking from the other guys. K, our female colleague, and the one who undoubtedly prevented several Valentine’s Day quarrels this year, starting laughing, “Yes D, it is this Saturday!! Good thing I reminded you, huh? So ET, what plans do you have?”
Now, in years past, I would have been right there with the guys, looking sheepish and trying valiantly to complete the half-formed witty retort in my mind. But not this year! This year, I had plans made well in advance! Rather smugly, I replied “We’re going to Market for dinner.”
This preparedness resulted from the eGullet discussion I’d been following about Jean-Georges Vongerichten opening his first restaurant in Vancouver. When several eGulleters reported back with positive reviews of the place, named Market, after it opened in January, I started to cast about for an excuse to go and try it. Since Valentine’s Day was less than a month away, it was a no-brainer. I had my reservations made before January ran out of days…
Market is located in the Shangri-la, Vancouver’s newest hotel and the city’s tallest building. Walking into the lobby from the Georgia St. entrance, one gets the impression that this is not your “typical” Shangri-la. Fans of the Shangri-la group’s other properties will find Vancouver’s version to be more contemporary in design and decor. Compared to Shangri-la’s locations in Asia, the property in Vancouver is also decidedly smaller. Nevertheless, the decor looks good and all the details that makes the Shangri-la a 5* chain are still present.
Market is on the third-floor of the hotel, and can be reached via a bank of elevators accessible from the Geogia St. lobby. The restaurant is divided into two distinct sections: a more formal dining room, and a more loungy café. A bar, which was really hopping when we finished dinner, separates the two sections. The dining room has the full dinner menu while the café offers small plates, pizzas, burgers and the like. Remember to specify which section you’d like to visit when making your reservation.
We decided to have the Market tasting menu that evening. Suffice it to say, Jean-Georges’ multiple Michelin stars are well-deserved. The menu that he designed, when taking the price (CAD $65 pp) into account, represents pretty good value as far as fine-dining is concerned. And save for one course, the meal was spectacular.
If I had to describe the meal in two words, “balance” and “harmony” would be my choices. Tastes and textures were beautifully balanced, and all the flavours worked in harmony. In lesser menus, there would invariably be accompaniments or sides that do not work well with the main ingredient, but there were no such problems here. Truly, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in Vancouver.
From this point on, I’ll let the photos do the talking. The description of each course reflects the taste and texture of the food, so I will skip much of my usual colour commentary in this post.
First up, the amuse. “Rice cracker Crusted Tuna, Citrus-Sriracha Emulsion”. Christina liked this so much she tried to replicate it at home.
Next, “Foie Gras Brule, Dried Sour Cherries, White Port Gelee”. Tied for the best torchon I’ve had, right up there with the one I ate at Manresa.
Next, “Cripsy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Passion Mustard and Avocado”. This was the one course that we did not find spectacular. It tasted good, but when the other courses were of such high standard, we singled this out to nitpick.
Next, “Sablefish, Nut and Seed Crust, Sweet and Sour Broth”. Fantastic.
Next, “Soy Glazed Short Ribs, Apple-Jalapeno Puree, Rosemary Crumbs”. Also fantastic.
Finally, dessert. Chocolate cake with a molten center and home-made ice cream. Delicious, and a great way to finish the meal.
Well, what can I say? Assuming the service and food standards are maintained, Market may well give Le Croc a run for it’s money as our fave restaurant in Vancouver. We’re already planning to visit again in March.
