Yes, they were originally scheduled to open their doors last summer but didn’t manage to connect all the dots until February of this year. Yes, Vancouverites were chomping at the bit, eagerly awaiting their opportunity to book a table to see what all the fuss was about. And yes, with the drama that followed Chef Anthony Sedlak’s eleventh hour exit (google the words “Sedlak skips out” to get caught up), initial reviews were less than stellar.
So let me set the record straight: forget anything bad you’ve ever read or heard about the Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe. That was then. Read on for now.
Tucked away on the corner of Haro and Thurlow, mercifully hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Robson Street’s chain stores, lies the Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe, catering to a Heinz 57 of clientele (as was demonstrated by the large party sitting next to us last Sunday night which included a cluster of characters that could only be described as “the Coquitlam cast of Jersey Shore goes downtown”).
Regardless of demographic, all tables were treated like gold, the service efficient yet elegant, with every detail well thought out and professionally executed. Proprietor (and new Dad) Andre McGillivray handily answered any and all questions, as he guided us through barman Steve Da Cruz’s novella of cocktails (so large, you’ll have to go to their website to download it, here) and Chef Jason Leizert’s menu musings, including its mass appendix of fromage footnotes. With a total of 56 cheeses from which to choose, the CSBD boasts the title of longest cheese list in the city.
Da Cruz puts a new spin on his rotating cocktail list (a previous concept lifted from his days at Gastown’s Boneta) with the addition of his Bar Guestbook, featuring an ever-expanding postscript of guest mixologist cocktail recipe contributions from around the Pacific Northwest. Look for The Refinery’s Lauren Mote and her “Sake Sour”, or the Pourhouse’s Jay Jones’ “Prospector”.
^ croque madame and french onion soup
Chef Leizert’s menu reads just like the pages of the Larousse: gougères, cod brandade, niçoise, terrine de campagne, foie gras, steak tartare, croque madame, and cassoulet. We began with a couple of two-bite “Petits Bijoux” to go with our cocktails. The French onion soup, which was uncommonly laced with thyme, giving the dish an unfortunate poultry seasoning flavour, followed by the darling croque mademoiselle canapés and their accompanying teensy fried quails eggs perched on the ham and gruyère-stuffed pain perdue.
^ bacon & onion alsatian tart with sweetbreads
The smoky Alsatian bacon and onion tart with sweetbreads and apple fennel salad was most scrumptious, and could easily make for a nice light supper.
^ veal cheeks, gnocchi, french breakfast radish salad, parmesan
Meat reigned supreme with the luscious braised veal cheeks, although the accompanying house made gnocchi was a tad soft and the carrots a bit too crunchy.
^ tarte tatin
The Tarte Tatin takes 20 minutes to make, is the size of your face, and perfect for sharing. It’s served with rich vanilla ice cream as well as a fork and steak knife, to be used either for slicing into the dessert or stabbing your dining companion should you feel you’re not getting your fair share of the pie… the choice is yours. In accompaniment, we were introduced to the sweet sips of Québec’s Sortilege liqueur, a heady blend of Canadian whiskey and maple syrup.
The Corner Suite’s unique bistro offerings and cocktail culture are a welcome breath of fresh air to the downtown core’s uninspired “this’ll do” tables for tourists. Seek them out at thecornersuite.com
