"Fusion” has always been a bit of a dirty word in the restaurant industry. Say it to most chefs in relation to crosses like Japa-ribbean, and the usual response is a slight curling of the lip. Nonetheless, it’s the rare chef these days who doesn’t indulge in cross-border cooking. Call it “globally influenced” or “pan-[insert region here],” and it has been – and continues to be – done.
When the late Cobre first opened in Gastown, chef/owner Stu Irving’s unique brand of pan-Latin cuisine was one of the first such offerings in the city. After closing due to the landlord’s desire to take over the space, Irving was left at a bit of a loss, until a space just east of Main Street on Powell came up. Cuchillo (meaning “knife”) opened last year and is a continuation of what Irving launched at Cobre.
Things have settled down after last summer’s anti-gentrification protests and it felt like a good time to revisit. I wanted to see how the menu, which I originally wrote off as lacking in many areas, had evolved through the more-than-usual growing pains of a first-year operation. The room is a narrow, deep cavern divided by a long communal table down the middle. Plenty of banquette seating and some high tops make for a comfortable mix, and skylights keep things from getting too dark. The open kitchen runs along the back of one side, and judging by the size, I’m in awe of the organizational skills needed to prep the reasonably large menu in such a small space.
Service is excellent. Perhaps being located east of Main takes the pomp out of the east side cool, but here, it’s all about friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable attention that even took a seven-month-old infant in stride one night. Co-owner John Cooper leads a tight front-of-house team that turns every evening into a fantastic experience, and the cocktails, like the enjoyable twist on a Pisco sour, are easy to imbibe.
The food offerings haven’t changed much, with the main focus still on small plates. Of the four ceviche dishes, the sidestripe shrimp and scallop option is the best, with citrus-cured seafood, a delicate honey-lime coconut cream, and a pleasant papaya salad. The presentation is rather deconstructed for my taste, but the flavours work. At $15, however, it feels overpriced and under-portioned.
The chipotle and sea salt fry bread ($6) off the snacks (antojitos) menu is solid, as are the yuca fries ($6). White bean parmesan fundido (think cheese fondue), served with corn chips ($9), is too dry and thick, however, to be enjoyed properly with the easily-breakable corn chips that taste like they came out of a bag. A jicama, cucumber, and Asian pear salad ($6) is a much better option, and has a lick of heat from the vinaigrette that plays nicely with the fresh and sweet flavours.
A half-dozen tacos, all $9 and served in deuces, show better promise, with the pulled pork, doused in morito chili barbecue sauce and served with a mango-papaya salsa, coming out a clear winner. The problem is that the jerk chicken, lamb, and mushroom versions all had similar levels of heat, making the flavours blend into each other. The flat iron steak ($24) is as good as it was at Cobre, which is pretty excellent, and was the only main I tried apart from the pork belly confit ($21), which was not memorable.
A little more variety in heat levels, and a lot more acidity to balance out the heavy richness of many of the dishes would be greatly appreciated. Irving’s cookery shows promise, but the edge here is still a little dull.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★1/2
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Open daily for dinner from 5pm to late.
Cuchillo | 261 Powell St. | 604-559-7585 | Cuchillo.ca
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter (@foodgirlfriday) and Facebook. FoodGirlFriday.com
