With dining in back in full swing, what better way to celebrate than with The Keg’s summer lobster tradition. 30 years of christening sun and brighter days with the one seafood that evokes awe and wonder in most: the lobster.
This is The Keg’s limited edition summer menu! When decided on which of the multiple Keg locations to visit, I went with my favourite out of all of the ones I have dined at. Not only has the food always been consistently good, but the the staff are some of the best I have encountered, and today was no exception. To our surprise and delight the Yaletown Keg has a roof top patio that neither my guest or myself have ever been on. It curved around the landscape of building, allowing for intimate pockets, an elevated street view, and the cityscape of skyscrapers in the distant. This made for an excellent backdrop for our following dinner.
We were here to indulge so got a bottle of Stoneleigh’s Sauvignon Blanc for the table. Not only was it a nice clean and dry start, but would also prove to be the ideal pairing for our Atlantic Lobster to come. The table is kept chill at the table for self pouring, but truth be told, the staff is so at the ready that you never need to reach for it. Your glass will soon be full and the bottle empty.
With it came their famous bread. A crispy sourdough bun served with whipped butter. So good, that you have to remind yourself not to fill up on bread. Though it did come in handy for our appetizer.
The Lobster Gratinée is chunks of lobster baked in the oven along side garlic, herbs, monterey jack, and cheddar cheeses. It is served Luke escargot with the similar single scoop dish and the small forks necessary to pick meat from shell. But here it is only chunks of sweet lobster and when you pair that with butter and cheese, how can you go wrong? You eat it with the sweet rolls on the side as base, they also serve as sponges for the sauces left to pool at the bottom. As good as this was, it left me craving something fresh and raw as a break in all those strong flavours and seasonings. I would have loved to see this as the start of a great lobster roll with cucumber, celery, and dill for that freshness I wanted.
For mains you have three choices. A lemon cream lobster sirloin, a whole lobster with butter, or lobster as a side to sirloin steak. We would go for the latter two, and this would be my first time going hands deep in a whole lobster. For the video footage check out my saved stories under “Summer Lobster” on my IG feed: @magmei.
The Whole Atlantic lobster arrived ready to impress. It was plated in its entirety, only sharing the plate with a lemon wedge. The side of melted butter came before hand, and was kept warm and runny by the heat of a tea light.
The Keg actually has a tutorial video posted on the website, teaching you how to break apart a lobster with ease. However, we did not watch or follow it, and instead thought it more fun to go in and rip meat from exoskeleton with our hands and the use of the provided nutcracker and small fork of gouging.
If you have never indulged in a whole lobster before, you must. For every dish that left you wanting more lobster, have it all here in its entirety and get it out of your system. Bite after bite of thick and chewy lobster chunks, generously coated in all the butter you could want. No complaints, just the suggestion to try this for yourself.
I also suggest getting a side to help balance out your feast. I went for the vegetable gnocchi medley to add both freshness and a starchy base; a great help to round out the meal. It all came in a lovely pesto sauce that offered a nice tang on things, and helped to change the taste as needed.
In conclusion, you don’t need an excuse to have and enjoy lobster, but it is nice that The Keg gives you one!
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar – Yaletown
1011 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P9
(604) 633-2534
kegsteakhouse.com
