My friend was excited to try the newer restaurant, Entrecote in Gastown. She had been to a similar concept in Paris France and was excited to see Vancouver get its own version now. She boasted that there is no other concept like this any where other than France, and that this is the first in Canada.
Not by the same owners or organizers, but a rift off the original. So she couldn’t help but to compare, and I in turn am able to incorporate her feedback here.
Walking up to the property, she immediately loved the Paris vibes. I did appreciate how perfect the unique courtyard setting with brick wall and over hanging tree lend itself to the theme. I choose a seat outside, opting for a quiet corner on their extended patio.
During our visit the restaurant was still fairly new and the team was still getting accustomed to the concept and level of service. As a result we saw highly attentive service from a rotation different individuals, majority of which spoke with a French accent. I counted that at least six different individuals approached us, and towards the end it started feeling invasive as we purposely chose a quiet corner to be able to converse, so having to stop and acknowledge each new face that introduced themselves felt counter intuitive to that. It was like they were practicing and we were the guinea pigs. They were so eager that as soon as I put my fork down, someone was ready to pounce and remove my plate.
Eventually one server said he would be helping us going forward, but seeing as we had heard the same thing earlier, I thought I needed to confirm. He did promise that he was the only one going forward, but that would not actually be the case.
The concept here is the same as it is in Paris. There is only one set menu offering one single dish: Steak Frites. This leads you to believe that they must do this one thing so well that no one wants anything else but this. They call this “La Formule”, and believed that this one formula is “perfected to the last detail”. With such a promise written on the one page menu, and given the odd concept, this felt like a guarantee. Therefore I was highly disappointed when I quickly discovered through taste that this was not the case.
Worth mentioning is that all the wines offered are French in origins, and the pastry chef is French as well.
According to my host, in Paris they serve large cut fires and that there are unlimited refills for it, the salad, and the sauce. In Vancouver you got all the above for $44, with just the one serving. No refills.
The meal was served across two courses, starting with their Fresh Green Walnut Salad tossed in their house vinaigrette. I enjoyed the smooth creaminess of the soft butter lettuce used, but did not find the mustard vinaigrette all that complimentary. Unknowingly, this would set the tone. The salad was simple, clean, and unremarkable. Hardly “perfect to the last detail” as the menu stated. I was off to a sceptical start.
This was served with fresh baguette slices and their house made sauce, which tasted like and reminded me of the salad dressing above. Another yellow, mustard based sauce. I was getting tired of the taste at this point, and was not surprise to taste something similar on my steak as well.
The Entrecôte Steak-Frites came with their secret sauce and hand-cut shoe string frites. The latter was one of my favourite gauge of potatoes so I was happy and asked for ketchup to dip with. I found the dish could have used some acid and the condiment helped to break things apart.
Apparently if you were able to guess the ingredients of the sauce of the steak, it would be free. We guessed curry powder, cilantro, and horseradish; but didn’t submit our guesses. Apparently they use liver in France as a secret ingredient.
As for the steak itself, I could have used more pepper and found my piece overcooked. I brought it to the server’s attention who compared the colour of mine to that of my guest’s and declared it the same, before walking away. I had to wait for him to circle back, to bring it up again. Ironically this is when the restaurant got busier and any and all of the staff could not be found.
It took me a while before I was able to catch the attention of our server again, this time I was ready with proof. I told him that it was not about the colour, but the texture and that you can visibly see that my piece was fibrous and dry, whereas my guest’s was pinky and a little undercooked to achieve a decent medium rare.
Admittedly my steak was noticeably a thinner cut, so the medium rare that was had asked for, was more on the verge of being medium well. I ended up sending my steak back, believing that this one thing they served should be as I expected it. The server admitted he could indeed see what I was saying and declined my offer for him to try it, seeing as he still seemed hesitant to accept my claim.
So he left it on the table and said I should expect by the manager to come by. They never did and after an additional wait, another server brought me another steak. However, at this point my guest was done and I was full from all the waiting in between bites.
The manager never came, but at least I got a steak that was cooked medium rare and was good for what it was and what they promised at $44. This time it was a fattier cut, so more forgiving.
We saved room for dessert, after seeing some of the highly visual options walk past us.
They have a French pastry chef making all their desserts in house, like this ice cream and meringue tower that we ordered and was challenging to eat.
Whereas you had no option for dinner you now had nine for dessert. Outside of its whimsical presentation, the Le Vacherin Chocolat with chocolate and vanilla ice creams, meringues, and chocolate coulis was classically done, with no surprises. It was as straightforward as the menu listed it. A little too sweet for my tastes, but it fell inline with the rest of what we had above.
To summarize, it is best to ask yourself:
Is it worth it?
At $44 per person you get exactly what you paid for. For Vancouver pricing this is reasonable, and considered cheap when compared to Vancouver’s largest steakhouses: Gotham, Hy’s, and Elisa.
Is it worth trying?
At the end of the day it isn’t a special cut of steak, nor is it unique in the way it is cooked. The sauce is different, so it is worth trying for that and the experience of France that they are trying to bring to Vancouver.
Realistically how often do you want to relive this exact same meal?
For me one and done. I don’t think I need to return for another taste.
Entrecôte Restaurant
12 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A5
(778) 907-1327
entrecote-restaurant.com
