Royal Dinette
905 Dunsmuir | 604-974-8077 | RoyalDinette.ca
Open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2pm; dinner Monday-Saturday, 4:30pm-late.
David Gunawan is on a roll. If opening restaurants was like a horse race, he’d be the odds-on favourite.
His first shot at ownership, Farmer’s Apprentice, was awarded Best New Restaurant and Best New Casual Dining last year. Grapes and Soda, the wine bar he opened next door to Farmer’s a few months ago, is constantly busy. And, now, he’s gone into partnership with the Donnelly Group and opened Royal Dinette on the ground floor of The Blackbird pub in the financial district.
The partnership – and location – might seem to be an odd one. Gunawan’s hyper-local, sustainable and organic ethos is not an obvious fit with the chain of pubs and casual restaurants, but Donnelly seems to have taken a hands-off approach, allowing Gunawan, along with restaurant chef Jack Chen, do what they do best, which is create delicious food out of simple ingredients in amazingly innovative ways. As for the location, it’s definitely an area that has been crying out for something more casual, approachable and adult, and hopefully the office inhabitants will take notice of the excellent nosh.
Take the duck liver parfait ($3), a snack on the summer menu. The liver was whipped into silky-smooth airiness and dotted across a large square of grilled bread, interspersed with dollops of tayberry jam (housemade, natch). Simple and so pretty, I spent two minutes just admiring it before biting in to what was an absolutely perfect combination of earthy-sweet-tart. Lamb tartare ($18), a special one night, was sublime. When it comes to tartare of any sort, knife work plays a large role in determining taste, and the precise micro-chopping of capers, pine nuts, greens and meat created a lovely texture that was set off by the shavings of cured egg and slices of onion. The whole sat on a bed of nasturtium puree. I was instructed to mix everything together before sampling. The nasturtium (a favourite ingredient with this kitchen) was subtle enough that it didn’t overpower the delicate taste of the lamb.
Mains like the halibut in hot and sour broth ($26) were equally delightful. The soup is so comforting, more sour than spicy, and balances out the oyster mushroom, chard and Thai basil that sit under the fish. It’s hearty and clean, which describes a lot of the dishes here. There is a purity to the menu, even in richer dishes like the bucatini (a long tubular pasta) with whey-braised pork shoulder ($19), heart-meltingly tender and studded with pecorino and mushrooms.
If you want a real deal, get the tasting menu. It’s $65 for eight courses at dinner, and it’s a serious bargain. Pair it with some of the excellent cocktails created by bar manager Wendy McGuinness, one of the city’s undersung talents. The wine list is heavy on by-the-glass options and well-selected. There’s also a two- and three-course tasting menu at lunch for $25 and $30, respectively, which can be served in an office lunch hour or three, depending on how many cocktails you decide to have.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Value: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ 1/2
Listen to Anya Levykh every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast. Find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
