It was another gorgeous summer night and having a patio dinner seemed fitting. Since I was feeling literally ‘under over-dressed’ for most of the afternoon, thought I better make use of my outfit at an appropriate restaurant; that restaurant turned out to be Market.
I’ve only been to the lounge area and had nice cocktails with their signature side popcorn. It has a great dining area but I’ve heard mixed reviews so we thought to give it a try to see what it’s all about.
The patio was very lush and comfortable with fancy Oprah-worthy cushioned patio furniture. It felt like a potential spot for one of those Hollywood parties as most of the female diners were dressed to the nines. I was like in short shorts, cute bootie sandals, and girlie lacy tank top => ‘under over-dressed’. As we walked to our table, we were greeted by at least 4 wait staff. We were starving so we started with appetizers of scallops and oysters.
The seared scallops were topped with caramelized cauliflower caper with a raisin emulsion. I loved the lightly seasoned seared large scallops and the cauliflower sort of reminds me of Nuba’s najib dish. The accompanying raisin emulsion was interesting as I couldn’t tell it was made out of raisin at all…it tasted like those Chinese salted preserved prunes. In general, it was a good delicious dish but expecting a bit more for the $12 price tag.
As my main, I ordered the halibut
The pacific halibut was served with sautéed spinach Sweet Garlic Lemon Broth. The fish was nicely encrusted in (I think) panko base seasoning. It was a nice mix of light crunch with the tender flaky halibut. The sauce didn’t overwhelm the dish and added nice hint of citrus.
My friend ordered the lobster which I didn’t try but here’s a snapshot of the colourful dish
The food in general was great and the service was professional and attentive. Market is a go-to place if you want to treat yourself to a formal fine dining experience. But for this low key wallet conscious girl….I’m perfectly happy with my cafes and neighborhood dives.
Market by Jean-Georges
1115 Alberni Street
Chenoa and I decided to pick one each: she picked the Strawberry Shortcake and I went for the Chocolate Mint. Both were pretty good with the cupcake base moist and spongey. It had a certain homemade taste to it whereas I found its competitor, Cupcakes, to have a greasy aftertaste to theirs.
