Vanbrosia: Pear Tree

March 25, 2014

“Local Prawn Cappuccino”: Prawn bisque foam w dashi custard and BC prawns - 3

J' s comment > WOW! Best prawn bisque ever! Definitely on par w the once-upon-a-time lobster bisque I had @ Diva back in Nov 2012, except this is prawn flavored; prawn pieces at the bottom were delicate and enhanced the bisque; loved the presentation concept & texture (foam was so yum), definitely lived up to the name 'cappuccino; FYI the mystery black strip you see on the side is a prawn cracker, not sure why it's black though, but definitely crisp and tasty.

Slow poached ‘Maple Hills’ chicken breast & braised leeks w mushroom cavatelli pasta & a blanquette sauce - 2+

J's comment > chicken very tender, not exactly dry, but definitely needs the sauce (served on the side, sorry, no pic) to complete the picture; pasta & mushroom were just yum and dare I say slightly more addicting than the chicken.

Roasted pear risotto - 2

J's comment > not bad, very creamy; didn't get the pear flavor though

Classic flamed gin and ‘Cascade’ tomato soup w chive whipped cream - 2

J's comment > not bad; haha... my dining partner really wanted this, me not so much cause I just had tomato soup @ Mom's Grilled Cheese for lunch, on the plus side though, it was an excellent opportunity to compare the two; Pear Tree's was more refined in flavor, texture and presentation, but Mom's was more impactful; I think the mascarpone in Mom's did that soup a huge favor, and I appreciated the kick in Mom's that Pear Tree's doesn't have; FYI there was a gelee underneath the cream that gets technique nods as it didn't melt throughout the entire course (my partner took his sweet time too w the soup), it was on the hard side though

Braised ‘Peace River’ lamb shank served boneless with seared scallops and roasted pear risotto - 2

J's comment > scallops were good (but not as good as Secret Location's); lamb shank was tender for sure, but way too lean for my liking; see risotto review above

Complimentary housemade brioche loaf & butter - 2

J's comment > not bad; loaf texture was like a really soft croissant that you can sometimes get at say, Safeway, etc., but Pear Tree's brioche much softer and not as oily; butter was unsalted though the brioche wasn't salty either so together they were kinda one dimensional

Complimentary pear salad - 2

J's comment > not bad; leaves really fresh, but still 'just' a salad

Chocolate ganache w a crisp nut base & salted caramel & orange chocolate sorbet - 2

J's comment > base not as crisp as I imagined; ganache dense as expected, but not as creamy as I would have liked; sorbet was unusual but good

Complimentary hazelnut macarons - 2

J's comment > not bad; macarons on the hard side (which I wouldn't usually prefer) but in this case it really works as these lil mini macarons now look and taste (both flavor and texture-wise) like a hazelnut!