This Friday we started Easter long weekend off with a visit to The Green. They are a new health conscious neighbourhood cafe, moving in to the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood of Vancouver.
They have been open for over three weeks now and have seen much success, with the community happy to have a brunch spot to call their own.
Owned and operated by “best friends and now business partners Daniel Cha, who previously worked at various kitchens in the Lower Mainland, including the Fairmont Pacific Rim; and Rudy Jo, who has owned and operated a couple of casual restaurants in Coquitlam and North Vancouver” (as per the press release).
They have come together to “fulfill their dream of nourishing customers with a varied menu of standout dishes that run the gamut from brunch to lunch to dinner, in a setting that is comfortable, contemporary and bright.”
As the name suggests they have created this spot as an oasis with a collection of faux green foliage to match the green present on their plates. Flushed and lush looking vines and sprigs, plus the gentle glow of neon lights to create the feeling of outdoors in.
The menu is fulsome with plenty of options to take you from breakfast to lunch. From brunch classics like Benedict and egg platters to pasta and risotto. They focus on using fresh local ingredients combined with the vibrant flavours from their Korean and other Asian cuisines influences. We were most impressed by how reasonably priced everything was.
We started off with some drinks. No alcoholic options but plenty of coffee, tea, and juices. I highly recommend exploring their smoothies and spritzs.
The Hey! Greens is a thick sipper of kale, spinach, mango, and pineapple blended to order. It certainly helped to set the tone of the more health conscious meal to come.
Although the one to get is the Sun & Leaf Tomato and Basil Spritz, I have never tried anything like it. It is essentially a caprese salad in a glass. Equal parts sweet and refreshing there is no missing the sugars of the tomato and the spice of the basil. So lovely and memorable.
For food I really liked the Sous-vided Pork Belly eggs Benedict, served open faced on a crispy toasted croissant. With plenty of sliced, equal parts fatty and lean pork belly, a spring mix of greens, onion chip, and two porched eggs. Best eaten with all parts as a whole with the crispiness of the flaky croissant as the highlight. Followed by the spicy zest of a goujujang based aioli, offering a familiar Korean sweet and tangy spice.
In comparison my guest had the more demure Truffle Garden bowl with quinoa, green mix, mushroom, pea, avocado, hard boiled egg, and parsley. This was a stunning looking green bowl, with a great assembly of toppings to create visual and textural interest. It certainly tasted as healthy as it looked, a clean start to the morning that left her feeling full, but not fulsome.
Bulgogi makes several appearances on the menu, we had it in their sandwich with onion, mushroom, and a green mix. Plenty of chewy beef to contrast the crunchy toast, soften by the peppery greens and fresh onion drizzled in a citrusy yuzu dressing.
I liked it best dipped into the side of soup, that the sandwich came with. Your choice of their house made tomato, or their seasonal Easter special: a cream of root. The latter was tempting, but I can’t say no to any tomato based soup. This was more heavy cream than tangy tomato, making it a great dip.
Given my latest bout with unknown allergies, I have been keeping my eye open for more health conscious dining options and The Green certainly fits the bill. Overall, this was a wonderful meal that had us leaving light and full; and certainly a welcomed and needed addition to the neighbourhood.
The Green
2261 East Hastings Street.
604-423-5959.
