Did you know that one of the most unique retro themed bars is hidden behind the facade of a heritage home in Mount Pleasant?
Given its unexpected exterior and the different walks of people coming and going throughout the day and night, the owners have even put up a sign reassuring the neighbours that they are not a cult.
This summer they are celebrating Sundays with a “funday”. Sadly, we missed the first Sunday of the month, where they host a vintage yard sale. For those who have never been to the restaurant, their furnishings comprises of found antiques and vintage pieces, sourced by the owner, who has a passion for the retro. The collection not only provides seating and decorative decor, but a platform to feature and shop for said pieces. It includes clocks, dishes, tables, couches, lamps, and even commercial signage. Each labelled with its own price tag for shopping.
Today, this collection was well curated in the front room of the refurbished historical building. I would have liked to see how they displayed it out in a yard sale setting.
I’ve been to the restaurant/bar before, but the back patio is new for this year. This is also where their live DJ performs, every Sunday from 3-7pm. It is setup up more like a lounge space with a series of 80’s style yard chairs in a mix of woven colours. All matching the available knitted throws, should any patrons grow cold. There is also a set of bleachers for staggered seating, which includes artful side tables.
Here, we took in a quick game of Jenga and ring toss, both of which help to foster the playful backyard theme. However, as soon began to rain, a few gentle drops, we decided to recede into the restaurant.
There, we would take a seat by the front patio. Just like how the back patio has its walls painted with colourful tattoo-style art, the front patio has a welcome greeting, paying homage to Mount Pleasant. The space is equipped with astroturf under foot and golf umbrellas overhead. Having the latter shielding guests from the elements makes for a very charming patio space within the community.
We started with a round of drinks. My go-to from them is the Vietnamese coffee slush. Everything you like about the strong and sweet drip coffee, made into a textured slush, and spiked with spirits. This makes for a great weekend wake me up. Espina negra, orange, lime, vanilla St. Remy, Kahlua, DD Mau coffee, and Longevity brand condense milk.
Not being able to decide on another cocktail, we took our server’s suggestion and ordered the two she deemed the most photogenic. Both served in a vintage coop, much like their other tableware. One was orange forward the other dark berry.
Pop, Lock, and Drop it! With O el Gobernador pisco, blueberry, lemon, poppyseed, and foamer. I found this herbaceous with a tart berry pucker at the start. The foam toppers adds a nice creaminess, but does little to sweeten the mix.
The Five Alive was more drinker friendly with Espolon Blanco tequila, aperol, tangerine, passion fruit, and lime. It was more like squeezed orange juice with its thicker finish and fruit-forward juiciness.
For food, we decided to order the unexpected, starting off with a beef tartare. Hand Chopped Beef Tartare Accoutrement & Egg Yolk. This was a classic rendition with plenty of gooey egg yolk to give the meat gumminess. We had the shredded cheese on the side, so that my guest with the diary allergy could enjoy freely. I found it and the side of crispy bread a necessary base. Both to help take away some of the raw meat’s hard to chew through mouth-feel. There was just not enough crostini to go around for all the tartare. And to be honest, I found it too much, the chops left too thick, and the serving too fatty; making it not all that appealing. Plus, I didn’t really feel like it matched the theme or the drinks, and therefore wouldn’t necessarily think to order it again.
I did like the Butterflied Prawns Herby Goodness & Salsa Macha. There was no shortage of flavour with all the use of bold seasonings and a crispy fry. I popped an entire prawn into my mouth from tip to tail, heavily season and strongly salted; this is the kind of small plate you share, and accompany with drinks.
For mains, we kept it in the Vietnamese wheelhouse and ordered their Teriyaki Chicken Bánh Mì. Chicken thigh, aioli, cilantro, pickled daikon, and carrots. The chicken was soft and tender with a nice grill; however, it felt flat in the sandwich, especially given the lack of crunch that you can expect from a bánh mì; between the soft, spongy bread and the thinly julienned vegetable here. I was expecting a crispy baguette whose crust flaked off or snapped, and missed the tang from a pickled daikon and/or carrot stick. Just chicken and enough mayonnaise to keep things moist.
The side of tatertots were a welcomed sight and a whimsical side, that you would not expect mid day or accompanyin a banh mi. Given the residual mayo from the sandwich, this was a nice crispy side to help sop up some of it in the mouth and stomach.
I surprisingly really enjoyed the short rib platter, which is also available as a portobello main for the plant-eaters, or chicken for something lighter. Charcoal Grilled Teriyaki short ribs with Hokkaido sushi rice, a scallion ginger sauce, poppy seed salad, and kimchi.
The meat was well prepared, and there was plenty of it. There was actually more meat than rice; which is typically unheard of. The unexpected and very welcomed addition to the platter is the classic Chinese-style ginger and green onion sauce. more commonly paired with Chinese style salted chicken, but well appreciated here for its unique flavour profile. It was helpful in adding freshness to the fatty cuts of barbecued meat. Similarly, we also saw a bit of Korean influence in the pickled kimchi. This too acted in the same way, offering a change of taste and some acidity as a side.
And we also got a taste of North American flavours here, with a very generous serving of side salad, dressed in and a poppyseed vinaigrette. The sheer mount of this felt overwhelming, sharing half of the plate with everything else. It was tossed well enough to be tasty, but felt out of place and seemed more like a plate filler.
Honestly, their food here is more dressed up than it needs to be, given the cultivated retro vibe. I would love to see a more vintage menu to match the theme. Like meatloaf dressed up, a platter of gourmet pigs in a blanket, and casseroles in the proper retro bake wear. Something to us fully back in that time capsule.
In short, I always have a good time at Mount Pleasant Vintage. There is always something new to discover; whether it is the changing of the vintage antiques, the updated menu with unexpected options, and/or creative cocktails. I definitely will not be a stranger to this summer time patio.
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions
67 W 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1K2
(604) 416-2830
mtpleasant.bar
