Left Bank - French Nouveau Cuisine

Always on the hunt for a new place to try, we happened on the Left Bank - French Nouveau Cuisine via TravelZoo (another savy internet media company that sells some amazing deals).

We arrived at around 5-ish (suppertime) and the place was still fairly empty with one or two tables occupied. Monsieur Cagna, the Restaurant Manager greeted us promptly and allowed us to have our pick of seats. Left Bank is located in downtown Vancouver in the heart of north Denman and west Robson. It's a small place with a seating capacity of roughly 35 (maybe 40) people. The place is sweetly decorated in fire-engine reds and pale muted greys. All around the restaurant are clay-potted herbs, their subtle greenery breaking up the thematic two-tone scheme. But, despite it's minimialist look and textured walls, the place still exudes a low-key chic classy-ness about it. I love the large windows that look out onto Denman, as well as the back end of the restaurant with its beautiful long bar, great for just catching up with friends.

We started our dining experience with a bit of popcorn teaser before ordering up the most amazing appies - Fried Brie rolled in crushed pistachios, served with a side of fresh baguettes & a raspberry-basil jam. For our second choice, we had a harder time in deciding. Luckily, Monsieur Cagna stepped in and suggested the lightly battered tempura green beans served with honey mustard. Both appetizers were wonderful. We couldn't get enough of the brie and baguettes which we generously slathered with the amazing raspberry-basil jam. As for Monsieur Cagna's suggestion, nothing could have been more perfect. It was a nice change from french fries. Not overly fried to ensure that the green beans kept it's crispy freshness.

Jean-François - For my main course, I chose the Steak Frites. A delectable and tender newport steak basking in a sczechuan peppercorn sauce and accompanied by pomme frites. The steak was cooked to perfection the only thing missing perhaps was a side of steamed vegetables.

I did try one of their beers - Farmhand Saison from BC - a Southern-Belgian Style brew with Sour Malt flavourings. Sensational.

Leiz - I chose the Cedar Plank Salmon served with wild rice, seasonal vegetables and bathed in maple butter. The presentation was wonderful, simple but attractive. The salmon was perfectly seasoned and tasted exquisite. The seasonal vegetables were cooked to perfection, not too soft and just the right amount of crispness. Sadly, the wild rice was a bit too well done for my liking and tasted soft and mushy. But that was the only flaw I found in this dish.

With just a little bit of room left in our bellies, we decided to go for the gusto and order some dessert. A smooth velvety Chocolate Torte on top of a shortbread cookie and drizzled with a tangerine créme anglaise. Just heavenly. Lastly, a Blueberry Cheesecake Lemon Meringue drizzled in a bit of créme anglaise and berry coulis. Absolutely magnificent.

This is definitely a place to check out. The portions are nice and the prices are reasonable, and lastly the staff are very courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. Absolutely a Must EAT Here place!