Recently, we had a chance to check out the latest offerings courtesy of Joey Bentall in Vancouver. Lunch took place in their downtown location’s Wine Bar (adjacent to the main dining area – and with a decidedly cool vibe).
We were ushered to our booth and offered a sampling of specialty, seasonal cocktails for starters as our host explained the concept behind their recently updated menu. Fresh is always top priority, as is quality where Joey Restaurants are concerned. We were definitely privy to both – and some exceptional service to boot.
In keeping with fresh and seasonal, we sampled our way through a trio of cocktails: the Pimm’s Cup, Blueberry Mojito and Sangria all went down far too easily. To whet our appetites, we noshed on the Sashimi Tuna Salad accompanied by Joey’s uber-healthy ‘The 500 Salad” (now a permanent fixture on the menu).
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Both salads offered completely different – yet equally amazing – experiences. We loved the delicate flavours of the seared rare ahi tuna served atop crispy noodles with toasted peanuts, sliced avocado, chunks of mango and with a mint and cilantro dressing. It had just the right marriage of zing and zest.
The 500 Salad consists of a menagerie of good-for-you grains and includes a healthy dose of quinoa, barley, raw veggies, almonds, avocado, watermelon, radish and fresh-from-the-garden herbs such as mint and parsley. You can up the protein factor by adding sliced, grilled chicken breast to really impress.
Now that we had the healthy bites out of the way, it seemed all the more fitting to delve into something a bit more wicked on the culinary scale. Enter pasta and fried chicken… or, to be more specific… a serving of Florentine Ravioli and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The artichoke stuffed ravioli is melt in your mouth good, served in a house made tomato caper tapenade sauce and accompanied by seared jumbo prawns, crispy prosciutto and spinach. Not to be overshadowed by pasta perfection was the chicken sandwich – fried to perfection with just the right amount of spiciness. Served with toy box tomatoes, jack cheese and a side of coleslaw, it begs for a bit of finger-licking indeed.
As if we weren’t already feeling satiated, our host arranged for a sweet treat to make a swift appearance at the table in the form of Joey’s own Happy Ending. That is to say, a dessert to write home about – one that consists of 72% dark chocolate, maldon salt and dulce de leche. Mmm, good.
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Need a little more incentive to work up your appetite? Be sure to check out Joey Restaurant Bentall Tower’s full menu here, and watch our vlog below…
