Long-awaited restaurant opens after 15-month delay and manages to deliver both delights and surprises
Mia Stainsby
Sun
Potato crusted cod is on the menu at Voya restaurant.
VOYA
Overall 4
Food 4
Ambience 4
Service 5
$$$
Loden Hotel, 1177 Melville St., 604-669-5060. www.lodenvancouver.com Open for breakfast, lunch dinner, 7 days a week.
Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.
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Marc-Andre Choquette’s name might not set off instant recognition bells but local foodies know. Back in the old-Lumiere days, he was the executive chef, Rob Feenie’s trusted right-hand guy.
He tagged with Feenie during 2005 Iron Chef America and they became the only Canadian team to win the prime-time competition.
“For the first 10 minutes I felt frozen in time but then the adrenalin kicked in,” he remembers. “By the end of 15 minutes, the two sinks beside me had a mountain of pots and pans.” You could, by rights, call him a sous-Iron Chef.
Since he left Lumiere a couple of years ago, he’s been a man in waiting. Last month, his waiting was over and Voya at Loden Vancouver, one of the much-anticipated restaurants, finally opened after a 15-month delay. In the past year, Choquette had been working in various kitchens of the parent company, Kors Hotel Group.
The food is described as “globally inspired West Coast cuisine” and the menu does borrow from here and there but the thrust is European. I was delighted (drumettes of sesame crusted frog legs with a barbecue sauce). I was wowed (ethereally light baked gnocchi with ricotta and eggplant, tomato sauce; sablefish so delicately cook the flesh was pluckable). I wanted more (of the yummy papparadelle that came with a tender hazelnut crusted lamb with aromatic jus). I was pleasantly surprised (barbecued eel and duck liver with pickled shimeji mushroom — who would have thunk?). I was seduced (two lovely amuse bouches and mignardise of mini chocolates, cookies and gelees after desserts). But I was also let down (an unimpressive dense, citrus-soy glazed salmon with Chinese greens and cashews).
I loved one of the desserts I tried, a dome of chocolate-enrobed nougat parfait with a lemony centre with sabayon ice cream next to it. It was worth the waddle I’d acquired by meal’s end.
Choquette is one of the city’s finest and while the cooking is elevated and haute, all of the elements of each dish weren’t consistently remarkable.
The room is comfortably glamourous. It’s modern with retro references and the warmth is amped up with dark wood (the floor looks like tile but it’s a darkly stained wood), buttery brown leather booths.
The senior staff are friendly, intelligent, good-humoured and knowledgeable.
When I was ransacking my purse for reading glasses — voila! A pair appeared at our table. Water glasses were topped off, crumbs were cleaned, questions were answered and napkins refolded whenever we left the table, all smoothly and capably.
Even if you’re not a fan of cocktails, you should give it a go here because Jay Jones is a master. I loved the Benedictine, bourbon, bitters and fresh orange juice drink I felt compelled to siphon from my husband’s glass. And the Voya lounge, by the way, is open to 2 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, should you be looking for a nightcap one evening.