Friday 26 July 2013

Mosaic Bar and Grill 3

Yes, we crumpets have been to Mosaic Bar and Grill three times now! Things are looking good for Mosaic Bar and Grill! As my family haven't used up one Vaneats coupon from last time (see Mosaic Bar and Grill 1), and the expiry date was emerging, we made a reservation to go to the restaurant for another delicious meal at the Hyatt Regency.

We actually went on the second last day of the expiry date, and it turns out that they have a new summer/mid-summer menu! I was thrilled, as I love eating seasonally and what's better than summer produce? No surprise, the service and ambiance were both great and we were given ice water and some complimentary sea salt scones to nibble on upon ordering our dishes. See our previous blog post for the scones' review.


To my surprise, Chef Heinrich really wanted to make use of the fresh ahi tuna and we each were brought complimentary mini appetizer! I can't speak for the ahi tuna, but my company both gobbled it up! Along with the tuna was a little side of pickled radish and corn salsa. I loved the freshness and tangyness of the radish. It really helps kickstart your appetite!




I love how they put the dish in a dainty sardine can, so adorable!


There's not much to say about the Vaneats menu, as I have already reviewed it. However this time, the portion of the A La Minute Salmon was so much smaller! I decided it was because Vaneats was almost over and they are running out?! I'm not really sure, but as least the presentation and taste remained the same.




See the size difference from the first post? Ah, well that's okay; it's not too much of a big deal. (I'm not the one eating this anyway) ;)

Let's move on to the new menu. 


What I ordered was of course, from the "create- your- own entree" menu. I really love this concept because you really get to decide exactly what you want to eat that day, from the starch, to the vegetables, the protein, and the method of how you want your dish cooked. This is really great for vegetarians and vegans alike (comment if you are! I'd be thrilled to connect with you! Even if you aren't, comment anyway! We crumpets love comments from our readers.) 





 Isn't this dish just devine? It's a plate full (and when I say full I really mean it) of flavourful veggie and tofu goodness.What I chose was sauteed tofu with roasted potatoes, summer veg., and local mushrooms all brought together with an aromatic citrus oil. The dish was super fresh and colourful; it is definitely a summer dish to remember.
I usually am not a fan of potatoes, but since I haven't had those in a longgg time and I have a soft spot for anything herb roasted, I decided to order those potatoes as my starch part of my entree. I was so glad I did. Yes, I loved the potatoes. They might have been the best part of my dish, in proximity to the mushrooms. They were roasted to perfection, crispy exterior and has a soft and "potatoey" (this word should be on the dictionary) interior. Love.

Speaking of love, I am also in love with the well-executed quality local food I get with just $16! And I'm talking dining at a hotel in the heart of Vancouver! That's like the price of eating at a food court! This dish totally beats the previous... the previous one I ordered was good, but this just overly exceeded my expectation for decent-priced quality dining, well, for tofu that is. Each protein has a different price on the "Create-your-own entree" menu, so don't expect you can get 16 oz. of animal flesh for $16. I apologize for all the carnivores out there. Please excuse my tendency to at least try promoting a plant-based lifestyle.


As my sister has already tried Vaneats, she ordered something from the new menu! We asked if there was a new tasting menu, but we were told that Chef wanted to showcase the new menu before introducing another nouveau carte (utilizing the French I learned in school, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I'm guessing they have a tasting menu now though!


My sister also ordered from the "choose-your-own entree" menu. It's just that much more exciting because you know that you'll get something delicious and well executed with whatever options you decide to choose. I also find that the chefs would probably enjoy creating those more too. I mean, who doesn't like getting some creative juices flowing? I wouldn't want to make the same thing every. single. day. 






 This was another memorable dish. At first I wanted to order the vegetable lasagne (without the goat cheese) too, but I was told by the server that it was pre-made and couldn't be changed resulting in roasted potatoes!
Anyway, my sister wanted to try something different, so she chose Okra and some other kind of greens for her vegetables. Because Okra season was probably first of the season, it was super fresh and tasted really gooey and delicious! Okra is a really good choice for those adventurers out there, but even if you aren't I assure you that you'd enjoy it! I have heard people say that it tastes like a mix of asparagus and eggplant, but the unique veg is farrr from that. It's just something that you have to try in order to know so try it.
Her favourite part of the dish other than the okra was the lasange. The salmon was only the average salmon for her, as she claims (and I think I agree) that our mother makes the best salmon. Back when I did eat fish, my mother's miso honey glazed salmon really was my favourite thing on the dinner plate. But those days are over now; the salmon in the rivers and I unanimously won't look back. 

After out meal, we decided not to get dessert (they weren't vegan anyways) as Vaneats already includes a dessert,which is either the classic chocolate cake (which isn't very good) or the banana split (which was giant the last time we had it). Of course, the banana split won the battle and we ordered that once again.


This time the banana split was a huge surprise. It shrunk. Not just a little bit shrunken, but like a plum to a prune (you may not understand my weird imagery/language but that's okay. I think you can still comprehend what I mean since you have a Wernicke's area in your brain. teehee, taking biology in summer school really makes you a nerd). 




From the plate being filled to the brim to........ this. Not very exciting, i know.

To sum it all up, this restaurant really does have someplace in my heart, as I know I'd be able to find something cruelty-free to eat. Their quality of dishes are superior in my opinion, and the presentation of the food is always divine. I don't think anyone would be overly disappointed to Mosaic and the restaurnat really has had an increase in popularity, especially food bloggers. I'd see if the crumpets would make another post about our experiences at this restaurant in the future! 


Lots of Nuts,

Peanut Crumpet xo

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