My first visit to Andonis was a month ago for a girl’s night out. We came downtown on a Saturday night to enjoy this well known and received rowdy venue.
However, I was back today in a judging capacity for the Vancouver Foodster #PastaChallengeYVR. Here, to try their unique pasta creation, conceived just for the competition. Their Chef, Rory has actually won this contest two years running, both with his artistic rose shaped pastas. So as returning champion, the stakes were high and I am glad I get to be one of the three judges to help make this year’s decision.
We purposely came in earlier to avoid the rambunctious evening crowd. 5pm right when they opened, for a more peaceful dinner. This I felt was a more enjoyable experience, especially given the elevated cuisine, and the price tag to match with it.
Truthfully, I didn’t enjoy what we had the first time around. I found the quality of product not worth what was charged for it. However, was reassured that with Chef Rory in the kitchen and taking full control of the space, the menu was leagues better and now worthy of the prestige they are trying to cultivate at Andonis. In practice I don’t do retractions, but here goes.
I like how the area and the streets outside does not reflect the oasis within. You are truly transported when you enter.
Admittedly, I am not a fan of their cocktail program. It is composed mainly with what I call party pop. Sweet mixes with the goal of hiding the spirit, meant to get your drunk without you realizing it. Whereas I like to taste my alcohol and have enough of it to be in my face. So after we drank all of the Sauvignon Blanc they had left, we were forced to switch to cocktails. I went for a lemon martini. My guest did like her fruity Empress gin lavender cocktail.
For food we started with the pasta of the night. Once again, not on the regular menu, and only available for the duration of this competition from October 2nd to the 25th. Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm onwards, for dine in only.
It is aptly named “Poseidon’s Bounty” for its accumulation of seafood. Seared scallops with trout roe served alongside a crab stuff cappelletti pasta with lemon and charcoal seafoam, coral tuiles and a dill pistou. This was neither Greek or Italian, but a category all its own. Elegant and befitting of a fine dining establishment. You don’t get too many bites from the one plate, but given how rich each one was, they satisfied just the same. Perfectly firm with sweet seafood filling. I liked the charcoal crisp and popping roe for additional textural interest. I just would recommend taking in less of the the dill sauce as I found that overwhelming and adding on too much salt to things.
Their Spanakopita is one of my favourites. Deep fried flaky and crispy, and under all these folds is a pocket of spinach and feta. Served fresh and still hot, best to let it cool a little and have some of the excess oils rest. Tasty as is, I did not need the tzatziki it came with, especially as it grew saltier the more of it you ate.
The Spetzofai is a stew of lamb sausage, mixed bell peppers, and tomato sauce. This was bold with so much good acid, heat, and roast. A little spicy, so the neutral pita was helpful in tempering it. It also served as a great vehicle for scooping up all the chunks with.
I was incredibly disappointed by the Chicken Souvlaki the first time around, so kept my apprehension today. Although, I would be mistaken and was ultimately glad to get the 2.0 version of this today. First of all, it looked a lot better. Larger pieces of boneless chicken, still served on a skewer with tzatziki sauce on the side, and still without rice or potatoes. However, the meat was so moist and juicy, that it did not eat like chicken breast. The seasoning this time around was actually more Greek tasting than the previous incarnation. I really enjoyed this one along side our vegetable entree below.
The Moussaka is a must with or without the souvlaki. Eggplant, potato, lamb ragu, and kefalocraviera mornay. I found it like a lasagna with layers of vegetables and potatoes, and just as enjoyable to eat and filling.
And for dessert we tried their Carrot Cake Baklava. A unique concept bringing two familiar desserts together to make something new. I just would have liked the cake and the pastry topping it both served warm. It was served chilled, likely premade, but reheating the cake would’ve been lovely, moist and soft yo contrast the would be flaky crisp of the phyllo dough. I did like the crushed pistachio for crunch and the ability to self pour a sticky white chocolate caramel sauce over everything.
For those who like chocolate and are gluten-free, their Chocolate Brownie with toasted meringue, salted, ice cream, and crystallized chocolate is the one to get. It has the amount of chocolaty gooeyness that you want from a brownie, but without the flour, so it is less chewy with no crispy edges. Its texture is a cross between pudding and mashed cake, like the lava in a chocolate lava cake, and similar to the marshmallow fluff that topped it.
However, my favourite had to be their ice cream of the day. I love mint ice cream, and they’re daily special delivered with real fresh mint and chocolate crystals for an enjoyable crunch in between the cream. This was beautifully done, and a great way to cleanse the palate. I would come back just for another two scoops of this.
In short, this return visit really turned my opinion around, and I am glad I got a chance to re-experience them. Be sure to try their pasta entry before the end of the competition and vote for your favourite as the people’s choice winner.
Andonis Vancouver
1193 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1M1
(604) 565-1193
andonisvancouver.com
