Mosaic Bar and Grill × VanEats: Mosaic Harvest

VanEats Mosaic Harvest Prix Fix Menu

Exam week, the only period of time during the school year where we actually have nothing to prepare for.  To celebrate, a group of us made a reservation to redeem the VanEats passes we purchased months ago. Yes, on a Tuesday night. We're not bad students, we promise! What is VanEats? It is a website that features exclusive dining passes for prix fix menus that are only available with the pre-purchased pass. This particular dining pass was for a beautiful three-course dinner for only $27. That is including tax! Mosaic was also offering a Dine Out Vancouver menu that contained similar dishes, but it costs $38. Lemme hear a "SCORE!!!"

Collectively, it is the Crumpet's fourth time at Mosaic Bar and Grill and the third VanEats dining pass (see here and here). It's no doubt that this restaurant is one of the best in Greater Vancouver. We're probably one of the last bloggers to review this particular Autumn Harvest menu, but nonetheless, we must contribute our praise. Our thoughts for each and every item on the VanEats menu is below!

Complimentary Scones

Shortly after ordering, we were provided with a generous amount of scones. More than we could eat. They were served warm and toasty (looooove!), moist and tender inside. Mmmm~ There was a distinct smoky flavour to the scones; my best guess would be that they were smoked salmon scones. Second best guess would be bacon. These miniature scones were the perfect start to the meal! But since a full dinner was coming up, we tried to limit ourselves. So hard...

Fall Salad

The two Crumpets had the Fall Salad as an appetizer. Thinly sliced raw carrots, beets, turnips, and mixed greens elegantly sat atop smears of tangerine dressing. The vibrant colours make it visually appealing. The green dots were, I think, green onion puree, but it didn't taste like much. Overall, the salad was a bit bland. I would've probably liked the salad a lot more if the dressing was more tangy. It's not a terrible salad, but it isn't one that left a vivid memory.

A la Minute Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon

The A la Minute Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon is a must order when at Mosaic. The accompaniments to the fish change throughout the year, but it a dish we would recommend first comers to try. The texture of the fish is in between sashimi and smoked salmon. No worries, it's completely cooked!  _____ thought the smoked salmon was okay, kind of had an odd smoked taste to it but the wasabi sauce was good pairing with it.

Roasted Chestnut Bisque

While the description sounded delicious, the Roasted Chestnut Bisque was not very well liked. It didn't really suit Clumsy One's taste. She says, "At first I forgot that they pour in the soup later, so when I looked at that pathetic piece of lettuce thing with that brandy cream smeared on the side I thought, "is this it?" Hahaha. Yes, but it was an odd creamy-ish soup." Those with an acquired taste for brandy may enjoy the soup a lot more.

Seared Baja Ocean Wise Scallops

Over half of us had the Seared Baja Ocean Wise Scallops as our main course. 

The Clumsy One's thoughts: "I like the scallops, I wish there were more of them though. The ham was salty but sort of appetizing in a way, and figs I gave away. The sauce didn't really have much flavour on the plate now that I think about it... That's just me though."
 
Mosaic has been praised for their perfect scallops so Coconut Crumpet, being a seafood lover, had high expectations for this dish. Again, the plating was artistic and elegant. The savoury flavours of the four large (not super large) scallops and prosciutto contrasted the sweetness of the sweet potato puree and dried mission figs. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of flavours, textures, and temperature so this entree lived  up to its expections. Even though we thought the prosciutto was too salty, the dish deserves the praise its gotten. Another minor nit-picky suggestion would be that fresh figs would've made the dish even better. Probably will have to wait for summer to get in-season figs. Cue Olaf singing "In Summer". Ahh, we love Frozen~

Grilled Curried Cauliflower Steak

Our waitress made sure Peanut Crumpet knew the Cauliflower Steak wasn't actually steak, as unknowing customers have been disappointed.  This was a disappointing dish as the curry sauce was "salty like the sea". So unfortunately, despite having tasty components like dates and pine nuts, the overly salty sauce ruined the entree. Because of this dish, Peanut Crumpet felt the quality of Mosaic has slightly decreased since last year.

Sous Vide Peace Country Lamb

The third and final entree is the Sous Vide Lamb. Sous vide is a special cooking method in which the cut of meat is sealed in a plastic bag and placed in a hot water bath to cook. This ensures the meat is cooked evenly and yields a super moist result. P ordered it medium; one piece was done to her liking while the other was on the rare side. The raw areas of the second piece wasn't so pleasant for her. She enjoyed the broccoli rabe (aka broccolini).

Pumpkin and Nutmeg Creme Brule

Both desserts were equally as tempting so we ordered two of each! The Pumpkin and Nutmeg Creme Brule was excellent! The custard was thick, creamy, indulgent and had a level of spice that would please those that enjoy warm spices while being mild enough for those that don't to thoroughly enjoy it. The caramelized layer of sugar was not too thick, as when it is thick, the shards can be extremely sharp. It was just enough sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth and round out a meal. The pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) went perfectly with the dessert; I scooped up all the seeds from the platter and dumped them into my creme brule. 

The biscotti/cracker things on the side didn't taste like much at first. But when I went back to them after finishing off my creme brule, their subtle sweetness came out and it kind of helped wash down all the flavours from the meal. Chewy from all the seeds and nuts, I love textural food!

Slice Mosaic Chocolate Cake

The Clumsy One (nickname re-confirmed after the cutlery incident, haha!) doubted me when I told her most people end up packing half of Mosaic's Signature Chocolate Cake home. When dessert was served, the two with the cake even challenged each other to a race to see who could finish their cake first. This massive slice of cake has alternating layers of dense chocolate cake and rich ganache. A thin shell of melted chocolate coats the exterior of the cake, which is hiding at the base. The cake itself is a bit dry, but with the frosting it tasted very good. Some diners have hailed this cake as the best chocolate cake in Vancouver. While it is a pretty good chocolate cake, since the cake was a tinge dry, we don't think it was the best (that's a very subjective term anyways.) When the need to doggy-bag half of the cake home, you will be provided with a sturdy box and a nice bag. Good quality stuff, ya know. Just as a note, a full sized piece of cake, as seen in the photo, is part of the VanEats menu but only a 'mini' slice is offered for the $38 Dine Out menu. Another reason why VanEats happens to be the better deal.

Fruit Plate (vegan dessert)

I encouraged Peanut Crumpet to ask if the restaurant could subsidize some sort of vegan option for dessert. Our waitress was prompt to check on the request for us and came back offering a Fresh Fruit Plate. It wasn't anything spectacular but the act of accommodating dietary restrictions contributes to the restaurant's good service.

Our waitress for the night was fabulous! Always with a smile, her service was cheerful, helpful, and efficient throughout the three and a half hours we spent occupying that table. She periodically came to ask how our food was, if we wanted anything else, and to come refill our water. As I was describing the menu to The Clumsy One sitting next to me, she joked about how I knew the menu inside and out.  "On Urbanspoon?" she asked. Yup, I've seen like all the other blog posts on the Mosaic Harvest menu. We made sure to leave her an appropriate amount of tips for her great service. I probably should've combined the amount into bills instead of leaving a pile of loonies and toonies... Sorry!

VanEats passes for this particular menu are still available on their website. They can be redeemed up until end of February. For $27, this is a better deal than Dine Out Vancouver!




Love from Coconut Crumpet & Co.

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. 

Mosaic Bar and Grill

There has been an increasing number of bloggers going to mosaic bar and grill @ Hyatt Regency recently, but that wasn't the reason why I visited this restaurant for dinner. My sister actually purchased 2 coupons on  Vaneats (check it out if you haven't!) which is basically a prix-fix three-course meal for only $20 instead of $40! 

I was pretty stoked since it was my mom's birthday, and I read that they give out their ever-famous chocolate cake for free on birthdays. However, I was kind of worried they wouldn't have a vegan option for me because the online menu was all flesh (sorry for those carnivores out there).

Coincidentally, the reservation was booked on the day of Eat! Vancouver, so I made sure I wouldn't over-stuff myself at the festival for the sake of enjoying a very special birthday dinner. Well, if you haven't read the post about Eat! Vancouver, there really wasn't much that you could stuff yourself with this year, which was disappointing for both Coconut Crumpet, our fellow "clumsy" friend, and me!

ANYWAY, When my family went into the restaurant, I wasn't surprised at the quiet ambiance. There wasn't a lot of people even on a Saturday night, which I liked. The waiters and waitresses were all very accommodating and very nice, and I give a thumbs up to the service.

Once seated, we were told that they had a special spot prawn tasting menu for $45 and $65 if you wanted wine pairing with it. Of course, as a shrimp-a-holic, my mother gave no other thought and ordered just that. My dad wanted to use the coupon that my sister got, but failed to resist the temptation of the menu. I, myself, didn't use the coupon because there was only the choice of fish or beef as the main course. That's okay though, because the coupon won't expire until July :)

I was so glad that they had a create-your-own menu, including the source of protein you want (TOFU OPTION AVAILABLE!!!), the way you want it cooked (grilled, sauteed, roasted, i-forgot-the-rest, etc.), 2 types of veggie accompaniments, way you want the veggies cooked, and the starch you want. I ended up ordering grilled tofu with olive oil mushrooms and summer greens, and sunchoke puree. 

My sister, with the coupon, had a pretty interesting menu. My dad says that it's a "very good deal", which is a big compliment on his part (he is one tough critic). 

After ordering, we received some complimentary mini sea salt biscuits along with a cube of butter to start our meal. Since the biscuits probably has dairy in it, I didn't try any. My parents thought they were a bit too salty, but gobbled them up nonetheless. 

Vaneats Menu Experience