Today I was downtown at Brass Fish with our girl gang #JoyDiaggi! Joyce of @vanfoodies, Diana of @foodologyca, and myself Maggi at @magmei. We like sharing our dining and drinking experiences as a trio, as we find we do this in the same way and fashion as one another; but each bringing our own unique lens and style.
Our latest journey brought us to Brass Fish bar and gastropub in the heart of downtown. I am familiar with the drinking spot, and wanted to share how far they have come in terms of food to drink with my friends.
We grabbed one of their semi-circle booths that overlooks the wet bar and started with some drinks.
I had the Jura Duty with jura journey, demerara, coconut, amaro nonino, angostura, and cherry; all smoked. I enjoyed the smooth cherry finish and how the creaminess of the coconut was apparent in the mouth. Very crushable.
Joyce had the Red Wax Drip made with Maker’s Mark bourbon, lime, strawberry, basil, mint, angostura, and ginger beer. Served like a Moscow Mule in copper mug. Best to stir this one up to get an even mix, especially as it is slightly more herbaceous with the combined efforts of basil and mint.
They also have a substantial list of zero-proof drinks. Diana as the designated driver had the Stay-cation. This was a fruity and tropical mix of passion fruit, peach, lime, sugar, and soda.
And for our drink dessert we would have a couple of their Calamansi Paloma Freezies. There is no hiding the spirit in these. Altos tequila, calamansi, grapefruit, and lime. As expected you are sucking juice out of a plastic tube. The action is half the fun and worth ordering to be able to do it alone. You definitely get tipsy on this one.
As for food, we would order their best sellers and new summer menu items to best represent the range of their menu. Dishes you would not expect from a bar and its kitchen.
The Prawn Tacos are fried crispy mini shells stuffed with prawn, iceberg lettuce, guacamole, and cocktail sauce. A fun two bite handheld that was overly generous with the guacamole. My only critiques here was that it could have use more salt and pepper to season, and to chop up the prawns for a more even bite distribution.
Like the tacos, this too was seafood fusion finger food. Cured Tuna Tartare and cucumbers marinaded in a sriracha spice and spooned over crunchy rice croutons. This was more rice that fish with the base reminding me of a polenta thanks to its soften centre and spicy seasoning. The tuna went unnoticed outside of its texture. Here, I found the side of ginger slices necessary in adding a balanced acidity to the mix.
The Lemongrass Cumin Beef was new to the menu. Slow cooked and well marinated beef accompanied by shaved daikon. It ate heavy and hearty like a stew. It reminded me of Chinese cuisine thanks to the cumin spice, but it was only familiar and in truth far from traditional. I wouldn’t think to necessary order this one at a bar, unless they served it in a bread bowl.
I enjoyed the Charred Beef Short Ribs. Similar to the Korean BBQ style dressed in a sticky and sweet hoisin garlic sauce. Chewy and tender pieces of meat that was fun to rip clean from around the bone. The slaw served as a nice base and a side to aid in freshness.
The Grilled peri peri chicken was a full dinner plate that you would order from a bistro. You could smell the char of the chicken and all its blackened seasonings well before it reach the table. Served with gem potatoes, asparagus, and a radish salad. Sadly the chicken was on the dry side and tough. Thankfully the pool of gravy at the bottom of the plate did help to add some moisture into the mix, and the well seasoned vegetables a nice distraction.
A bar classic is the Steak Frites. Here it is a 8oz striploin with a mushroom demi served alongside a roasted tomato and shoestring fries. I enjoyed the leaner cut, although it still had a thicker and meatier chew than with that of the ribeye below. It also came with an additional side salad as a bonus.
The Ribeye Steak was 10oz served with a cognac peppercorn sauce and grilled asparagus. The meat was flatten and over cooked. We asked for a medium rare and found this more medium given how thin the steak was. Not one I would order again.
I did like the Seafood Paella Risotto as a fun take on two differing country’s classics. A creative fusion take that tastes great. Comforting and cozy crispy yet soften rice topped with an exciting assortment of crunchy padano, prawns, salmon, scallops, and nduja tempura.
Another new offering that I was not expecting from a bar was the Sablefish. Tender and creamy white fish served in a clam chowder with gem potatoes and a herb butter. It ate like a soup and left you wanting bread to sop up all of it. Jam packed with flavour, whereas you usually see sablefish dressed more modest in a clear broth. But I liked the rich and heavy take of this. Once again bringing two favourites and making them their own thing.
And for dessert we shared one of their Salted Pretzel Toffee Puddings served with a miso caramel and vanilla gelato. This has a great medley of textures from airy and fluffy cake to the crispy pretzels, and silky ice cream. A nice way to cleanse the palate.
In short, we had a great time in a lovely space with fun and unexpected eats. Not the best but one of the more outstanding options for bar food.
Brass Fish Tavern
385 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2G8, Canada
604-336-9167
freehouse.co
