Bacchus: One Merry Deity

I've been wanting to go to Bacchus restaurant since I bought the suits last year and was looking for a place to wear them. It rates 3 1/2 stars out of 4 in the local foodie Vancouver magazine. The day was so hot I was glad not to be wearing anything suity. Coming into the Wedgewood Hotel, I realized I'd walked by this place many times. It's right accross from the Court building. Finally inside. The part of the restaurant facing the street consists of a large and very comfortable looking lounge I'll have to visit again this summer for a drink. In preparation for that visit, I had a cocktail made of pureed pear, apple juice, some expensive vodka and a sprig of rosemary. I remember the rosemary cocktail I had at Hastings House on Saltspring Island two summers ago. This was much better. It reminded me of a Jolie Coure, which is astronomically high praise. Never did taste any pear though. Unlike the Hastings House cocktail, the rosemary in this one was complementary, as opposed to overpowering.

Fumiyo and friends enjoyed the bread. I enjoyed taking a picture of it.

Our amuse bouche was pea soup, with mint. Miyoko and I really enjoyed it. The peas tasted so fresh, as if they were just picked before the soup was made, and mint goes together with peas perfectly.

For a first course, Fumiyo and Miyoko had this leek soup. They loved it. Inside were morel mushrooms with some sort of chicken inside them. Looked like tiny kiwi fruit. I see from the menu that there are ramps inside. I've never had ramps, but see them all the time in menus of extragent restaurants I hope to visit eventually. This unfortunately was not my day to try them for the first time. My appetiser was far too filling to try anyone else's.

Crab croquettes with ginger. What a fabulous combination. The croquettes were mostly crab and very succulent. Topped with pea shoots, a perfect combination after the pea soup. Really filling but really good.

Kiyoshi also enjoyed the croquettes.

Fumiyo had the Alaskan black cod. Very scenic. I had a taste of the sauce which was obviously made by someone who takes saucing seriously.

Miyoko and Kiyoshi had the Baja scallops and very happy with them.

I ordered the centre-cut halibut, which also included scallops. I was not impressed with my scallops, and Fumiyo ended up eating this one. I asked the server if it was the same scallop as the Miyoshis had and was told it was from the same batch, though the Miyoshis said theirs were succulent, while mine was rather dry. The halibut, on the other hand, was magnificent. Artichokes go as well with halibut as the graham cracker crumbs I had with halibut at Gastropod recently. All in all, the restaurant was just as good as I expected.