Spark Kitchen and Bar

Today we were in Richmond for something unexpected. When I drive all the way out to Richmond from my home in Burnaby, it is typically for Chinese food. So this is one of the few occasions I would be making the trek out for a three course dinner; and at a karaoke bar no less.

This is Spark, located in the corner of one of Alexandra Road’s many outdoor plazas. Kept dark, the dining area is sandwiched by a substantial bar and a just as large projector screen. Given the setting I adjusted my expectations on the food, and as a result, was pleasantly surprised.

We were here to try their new three course tasting menu, typically $49.99, but now on special for $39.99 until the end of summer. Only available on Sundays and Mondays, which I can only assume are their two slowest days.

The menu also includes drink pairings with your option of high balls or wine for the extra. I didn’t think 2oz of spirit in soda would match the plates, so we went the wine route instead.

There are three courses, but only two wines to choose from, less of a pairing, and more like wine on the side. Three glasses at 4ozs pours for $15 more.

Not surprising, the server was unaware what type of wine either option was. A red or a white, that both tasted flat, lacking body with more residual sugar. We suspected both were either from box or a bottle open well beyond two days. I would suggest going off the tasting menu and ordering some of the “experimental cocktails” instead. They get pretty creative with whimsical drawings of each on the menu.

The white option was a blend from Catalunya Torres Vina Esmeralda, Penedès, Spain. It was a sweeter wine like cotton candy grapes, it flowed well with the sweet chilli and sweet vinegar in our first course below.

For appetizers you have four options. We passed on the Seared Chicken Tortilla and the Santa Fe Salad. Instead we ordered a plate of their Spark Chicken Wings in Sweet Chili. These were homey style baked wings. On the smaller side, but lick your finger clean saucy to make up for it.

We also had the Brussel Sprouts they too were small, some of the smallest I have seen, meaning they were hand selected to be this uniform. You would think with such a size that they would be crispy throughout? Instead, these were mushy, soaking up the sweet vinaigrette coating like a sponge. However, the flavour was good so we did eat it all.

We went with their red wine option for our second course. This was the Côte Du Rhône – Les Halos De Jupiter, France -2020. Once again flat, if lacked body, and served as an adequate table wine, despite the older listed vintage.

The regular entree options were either burger or pasta. The Grilled Pineapple Burger or their Classic Cheeseburger for the former, and an Alfredo Pasta for the latter.

We opted for the $4 extra lobster and steak option. I was a little weary as this definitely looked like a bar menu and bar quality type of setting, but once again, was pleasantly surprised.

The Lobster Pasta was only half a lobster tail and included three shrimps and two scallops. An impressive looking plate, but all the flavour and salt was in the seafood, and without it this was bland noodles. Tasty enough together, but nothing unique to the resto-lounge, much like the steak below.

The Sirloin Steak was a larger portion that included a hefty amount of mashed potato, a bunch of well steamed asparagus, and a light mushroom gravy to self pour all of it, making this a cohesive serving. Be warned the gravy is quick to congeal so you want to get to pouring as soon as you have it. Once again, the food was standard and good for what it was. Not memorable, but certainly worth the deal that it is a part of.

For dessert there are three more choices to make. We passed on the Cheesecake and went for the Chocolate Lava Cake instead. However, there was no overflowing chocolatey filling, this was a dark chocolate sponge with the cakey texture of sticky toffee. It was a nice sweet end.

I was lured in by the name “Ice Cream Mystery Box”, only to realize that it was what ever random ice cream they had on hand. In this case it was a grocery store Neapolitan, which the server called chocolate. It came with a side of whipped cream, one fifth of an ice cream sandwich, and some raspberry drizzle.

Like everything else, the dessert was overall good, but not worth a specific drive down for. I would deem them an option, but not a podium choice.

Spark Kitchen and Bar
8291 Alexandra Rd #155, Richmond, BC V6X 3A9
(778) 870-8999
vansparkbar.ca