I managed to convince my parents to bring me downtown to have dinner right after I took my last exam. Factors that helped me convince them were that my aunt was in town for the week, and my brother's prom was in Downtown and we had to drive him there anyways. After much consultation, suggestions, and research, I made a reservation at Mosaic Bar & Grille inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Burrard Street, as recommended by Peanut Crumpet. Her review can be found here.
Traffic was horrendous that evening; roads were blocked off, it was rush hour, and it was Friday night. It took almost one and a half hours to reach Downtown, by then my stomach was growling. Before leaving the house, I called Hyatt to ask about their parking prices. It is extremely expensive, probably going to cost $30, so park at Pacific Centre instead for $6 during after-hours (i.e. dinnertime), it's only a few blocks away.
Mosaic Bar & Grille is on the second level of the hotel. We were seated by the window with great natural lighting for food photography and a view of the street to do some people watching. The menu isn't very vast, but the ingredients are seasonal. On one side are appetizers and main courses, and the other side is build-your-own main course. You can choose a protein (either 4 oz or 8 oz), two vegetable sides, a starch, a sauce, and a broth(?) There is also a tasting menu for $45, it's a good deal but I didn't try it this time.
After ordering, we were served a selection of warm bread. Waiters will offer seconds later in the evening if they see you've eaten it all already. I appreciate how they serve the bread warm.
Complimentary Bread at Mosaic Bar & Grille |
Warm Baby Octopus Salad |
White Asparagus Soup |
A la Minute Smoked Salmon |
Now onto the entrees! My mom ordered the natural crispy chicken from the pre-matched menu. I didn't get a photo of it, as my mom originally said "It's just chicken." But once she started eating it, she said it was one really well cooked piece of chicken. Or I should say, pieces, since there were three very hearty chunks of moist chicken with a crispy skin. Not too oily but still very flavourful. I didn't personally try it, but my aunt did and commented on how good it was. If you're not too adventurous, this may be a good choice.
My aunt also ordered from the pre-matched menu. The Skuna Bay Salmon. It was also one of the courses on the tasting menu. When it came, we joked about how little the serving was compared to the rest of ours. I actually think it was a better size, since one can only fit so much in their stomach. Gotta save room for dessert ya know~ The foam is a meyer lemon foam, and the flowers are the same ones from the salmon appetizer. My family joked that the salmon was foaming from its mouth. Haha, sorry to ruin you're appetite ;)
Skuna Bay Salmon |
Build-your-own entree: Beef Tenderloin |
Build-your-own entree: Ling Cod |
Service here is fantastic! A good aspect about not having a ton of customers is that many servers will keep an eye on you during your visit. We had at least five different waiters and waitresses come to our service throughout the night, whether it be getting us drinks, serving the food, answering our questions, or giving us recommendations. They were all very friendly and helpful, A+ for them!
The prices at Mosaic are extremely reasonable. Appetizers are about $9 to $13 dollars and entrees are under $30 each (unless you choose an 8 oz meat). The lower prices allow each guest to have a two course meal for under $40. The presentation and quality of the dishes are well worth the price. Menus seem to change quite frequently according to available produce and ingredients. Too bad the Watermelon Panna Cotta was only available through the tasting menu; it looked like such a beautiful dessert! We were going to try their famous chocolate layer cake ($20 for a rather large slice) but decided to pay a visit to Bella Gelateria instead. Maybe next time when my entree isn't so filling. The location is also extremely accessible as it is right beside Burrard Skytrain Station. This will definitely stay on my list of places to have dinner to celebrate special events. It has also been on the 'Talk of Town' list on Urbanspoon recently, as many people are beginning to discover this gem. I highly recommend Mosaic Bar & Grille!
Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡
No comments:
Post a Comment