Today we were at the highly anticipated launch of Good Thief, the Asian fusion cocktail bar located beside Anh and Chi and helmed by the same brother and sister duo.
They continue to see long line and continuous customers out of their original location, so it was only a matter of time that they continued their restaurant’s expansion. And this time not just in terms of square foot, but offerings as well; slowly taking over the entire block.
The space was closed for a private event and RSVP-ed guests were allowed to mix and mingle as they pleased, despite designated seating with name cards.
The space is modern and fun, playing off tradition, much like both their food and drink menus. I especially liked the back lit painting of a women dressed in traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai behind bamboo shutters, and the squared paper lanterns with floral detailing. The space did well to transport you to a different time and place.
As guests trickled in and found their places, small bites were brought out. Available on the regular menu and made bite sized here.
I missed the rounds of Sunseeker Oysters dressed in a coconut chili foam, but made up for it with the welk.
Had about three of these just for texture alone. A generous amount of chopped up welk meat sitting on a forbidden crispy rice base topped with mint, rau ram, and nam jim jaew. A wonderful acidic bite that paired well with our welcome glass of rose, much like I imagined the oysters would have with its crisp and creamy mouthfeel.
The room was clamouring over the one bite flaky pastry foie gras hors d’oeuvres. Creamy and rich they melted on your tongue with its unique umami flavour. This was not on the actual menu, much like the following.
Shiitake mushroom and pickled cauliflower it was a bite that brightened and did well to serve as a palate refresher with its tang.
When time, guests were asked to take their seats for speeches. Before the sit down portion of the night began we heard from our owners/hosts. How their restauranteur-ship began because they missed the flavours of Vietnam, so started a pop up out of their own home. This grew to become one of the most iconic pho shops in town, where mom and dad ran it and it put the kids through school with it.
Good Thief was built out of the desire to build on Anh and Chi, to continue adding to their home in Mount Pleasant. They spoke like brother and sister, driving home the importance of team work and working with family and new friends.
Where Anh and Chi focuses on the proper techniques and how to do things most authentically, Good Thief is a step away from family and tradition. Good Thief is the self proclaimed rebellious younger brother, the “black sheep” trying to pave his own path. They have been wanting to undertake this venture for a long time now, but covid caused them to pivot into bottle sauces, before finally coming to this point.
It is here and “Nhau” (mind the pun), that they are offering late night tapas, as a spot to stop at after your full meal at Anh and Chi.
We were then given an explanation of their cocktail program from the Director that conceived it. The inspiration was Gods having a feast and there being a need to provide the best beverages, so the Vietnamese trickster god was tasked to it. The cocktail listing was him exploring South East Asia, learning of hero ingredients and techniques. Each cocktail a stop on his travels. The drinks organized from light and fruity to full bodied.
The following was the handful our table of four got to try. Starting with a dish of lotus root chips and more pickled cauliflower to whet the appetite. These are kind of complimentary bites you would expect from an Asian fusion cocktail bar.
Ca Phê Ca Phão is like a coffee martini, but with Vietnamese coffee in place of espresso. Toasted Rice Ketel One, Amaro: Etna, Good Thief Chicory & Coffee Liqueur, fresh Vietnamese espresso, and caramelized cardamom condense milk. Like coffee it was robust, toasty, and nutty. I just would have liked more condense milk to have it stand out against a regular espresso martini. A drizzle of it on the glass would have been a nice presentation.
The Pom Pom Punch is your girly drink option. It tasted like cotton candy, reflective in its frosty pink hue. Described as a Pomelo & Milk Punch with Pandan & Vanilla Don Julio Reposado, Parnubes Oaxacan Rum, spiced pomelo, fresh lime, salted roselle, and rice milk.
The Pho Dão Biêt is a savoury cocktail like no other and has made it to my list of top 3 favourite cocktails, that happen to be all savoury. This one tasted just like pho broth with Beef Pho Blade & Bow, Junmai sake, rice noodle amylase, Me’s pho seasoning & herbs. This is basically a cocktail made with the skimmed fat off of pho broth, but clarified for a silky sheen. A savoury soup that drinks like tea, but with the full bodied flavour of the promised of beef pho.
The “Six Inch Yellow” we all ordered for its name alone, although the drink doesn’t match what you would expect from such a moniker. Given the innuendo I wanted a heavy and bold drink to match. Instead this was a tropical and fruity cocktail with tamarind and spicy notes. We were later told that the name refers to the glass and the liquid that is held inside it. Whistlepig Rye, Yellow chartreuse, rectified starfruit & guanabana, salted honey, galangal, pineapple, and spicy super foam.
Hero’s Hänh Trinh is a booze forward cocktail with Johnnie Walker Black Label, Red Clay Overprof Flor De Cana 12, Esquimalt Bitter Orange, salted betel & miso, and house bitters. Boozy and bold with smoke. This would be a good one to have with food.
For food, the room loved the Pommes Frites, three way cooked fries that stayed crispy on the outside with a mashed potato-like filling. A subtle saltiness finished off with curry leaf and accompanied by a zesty Thai green chilli aioli for dipping. The was best side to all the cocktails, and the one dish that I felt really matched the bar theme.
The balut was an interesting choice, described as the Vancouver friendly version of the Filipino delicacy. A quail egg, minus the embryo, but it did have the hard textured bits that balut does. The name draws you in, but it does not help to make the connection. Dressed with spicy tamarind, rau räm, and peanuts. Not for me, but I can see it in a bar setting as the Asian version of pickled eggs.
Similarly the frog legs, common to Vietnam and their French influence, was on the menu in place of the more commonly seen bar wing. Crispy frog legs tossed in Me’s fish sauce glaze. They tasted like chicken especially with the familiar crisp and the tangy fish sauce finish, but with a lot more tedious bones to pull.
Here, the Crudo feels out of place. So light and delicate, especially with the at the table pour over moment. This is not the typical dish to have with bar drinks and is not hearty enough for multiple drink. Out of the cocktails we had, the tropical tamarind one would have been the most complimentary, considering the overlap in fruit and flavours. BC side stripe crudo with clarified tamarind, pomelo, mango, almonds, and ngo ôm.
Similarly the eggplant was challenging to match. This was ribbons of zucchini topping a whole meaty eggplant, breaded and sliced in two. Sitting in a creamy dill cucumber sauce. I liked it as a dinner plate, but could not see it as a bar option with cocktails, unless it was double deep fried for a more carbo-loaded crunch.
Here, I realized it might be beneficial to have suggested pairings listed for easy customer reference. Food to drink and drink to food, considering not everything pairs well, and what was the best was hard to guess.
The Halibut would pair well with the pho cocktail with its similar savoury freshness. Dill and turmeric soubise, hakurei turnip, and fennel. The fish was tender and light with fragrant dill and fresh citrus.
I liked the beets and the oxtail together. The vegetable a little too lean on its own and the oxtail needed more vegetable than its sides could supply.
I appreciated that the beets were picked and harvested the day of use, then dropped off here to be prepared on the day. Athiana Acres organic beets, blood orange, rice patty herb vinaigrette, and chilli salt. A light salad-like offering with the sweet honeyed beets. The drink we tried, that I could see tying well with this was the Pom Pom Punch for its parallel sweetness.
Oxtail with a pho demi glace, confit daikon, and carrot puree. This was incredibly rich and tasty, made with a French style wrap technique to keep all the shredded ox tail meal together. It well with the acidic beets, but I wanted a starch with it as well.
In summary, I liked the creativity of the cocktails and enjoyed the artistry of the food menu. However, the two together felt very separate. Two different concepts, where wine would be best suited to the full plates. And the drinks solo before or after to be able to enjoy them all their own.
Nonetheless, I have never encountered an Asian fusion cocktail bar, for all the Asian fusion restaurants that are out there. A fun breath of fresh air, and I cannot wait to see how they evolve and grow as little brother gets comfortable in his position.
Good Thief
3336 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3M7
(604) 428-3336
goodthief.ca
