It’s a great neighbourhood spot on West 10th with a menu that reads like a map of British Columbia
Mia Stainsby
Sun
At Pair Bistro, chef Shaughn Hall (left) with proprietors Janis and Todd Hodgins and a glorious spread from the kichen of Qualicum Bay scallops, Kettle Valley lamb tenderloin, Okanagan quail and the current local water catch of roasted black cod with wild B.C. salmon, spot prawns, organic oyster mushrooms and farm beans. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun
Pair Bistro is an unassuming neighbourhood restaurant on West 10th, outside the orbit of trendoids and travellers. I reviewed it about four years ago but chefs have come and gone and it’s become one of the restaurants with a “locovore” reputation, showcasing local ingredients. I wanted to see if it’s true to that spirit and how it’s progressed.
Quite well, it seems.
It’s intimate in a well-worn way and warm (in the summer, very warm) and unpretentious. There’s obvious support of local artists as well as B.C. food and wine.
The yellow-cedar totem behind the bar symbolically represents the owner’s friendship with Haida carver Clarence Mills. “My spirit animal is bear and the Haida individual is him,” says Todd Hodgins, who owns the restaurant with wife Janis Hodgins.
Note the references to the Beatles, including a photo of the owners and friends replicating the Abbey Road album cover at a street crosswalk in the neighbourhood. “I’m proud to say I’m a Beatles fan,” Hodgins says. “It’s that philosophy of love and peace and what they gave us in music.”
The menu reads like a map of B.C. Appies include organic field greens with pinot poached pears, edible flowers and Poplar Grove Tiger Blue (cheese); cinnamon sugar yam fries with mint infused aioli; Cortes Island medley of mussels, clams, swimming scallops, vin blanc and fresh herbs. Mains include “The Burger,” made with grassfed beef, applewood smoked cheddar and wild boar bacon; and pinot noir-braised spring lamb shank, sautéed with wild B.C. mushrooms and Pemberton potatoes.
Pair Bistro is a great neighbourhood spot. The food doesn’t hit all the right notes all of the time but there’s enough deliciousness to hook you. Dungeness crabcake with pepper purée and sea asparagus was tall and light; Peace Region bison ribs, slow braised with juniper berry barbecue sauce, was served with Chilliwack corn bread and radish slaw — a delicious feast; wild B.C. salmon was perfectly cooked and served with mushroom and goat cheese arancini (rice ball), balsam cream and organic chard; Polderside organic duck breast and leg with butter gnocchi and apple cranberry cabbage was a tasty dish but highlighted the fact that presentation could be worked on — but the portion was hugely generous and the duck was flavourful.
A maple-glazed flat iron steak (with B.C. mushrooms and sugar yam fries) was problematic. It was tough. The Pair “signature” oysters featured very nice oysters but was overloaded with toppings of balsam cream, salmon, spinach and tomato confit, suffocating the lovely oysters.
You can order extra sides and I’d recommend the bannock, served with cedar jelly, black cherry jelly. (A different bannock was served with an appie of roasted University of B.C. farm garlic, with Saltspring Island goat cheese, Chilliwack corn relish and preserves, but it was pale and dense, not as good.) That appie itself wasn’t a terribly cohesive dish.
What’s notable is the price point, especially for a restaurant sourcing out some of the best ingredients around, including produce from the UBC Farm. Mains range from $15 (burger) to $25 (lamb shank, organic duck). Also notable is the wine list featuring boutique wines you won’t find in liquor stores, coming from wineries like Garry Oaks, Blue Mountain, Poplar Grove, Venturi Schultz, Joie and Blackwood.
PAIR BISTRO
Overall: 3 1/2
Food: 3 1/2
Ambience: 3 1/2
Service: 3 1/2
Price: $$
3769 West 10th Ave.
604-224-7211
Open for dinner daily from 5:30; brunch on Sunday.
Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008