Forage

This place really showed me! I came here with BF last week having no expectations. When we arrived, the female hostess seemed to have an attitude problem and told us the window seats were reserved. It was a weeknight and the restaurant was quite empty inside. I respect hostesses/servers who say tables are reserved for parties of four... but to lie is just silly. In the end she took us in a circle (literally) and we got the seat we originally wanted without even asking. Forage's menu is really limited which did concern me because I like to have a good amount of options, but everything was perfect, no complaints.

FRESH OYSTERS, BC SPOT PRAWNA AND SEAFOOD CHOWDER, HALIBUT CHEEK, ALBACORE TUNA, BONE MARROW, RISOTTO AND CHEESECAKE.

 

FRESH SHUCKED OYSTERS ($2.50/EACH). We chose kusshi oysters because I like them the most since they are small, plump and naturally sweet. The oysters are rinsed properly, taste fresh and are very good.

BC SPOT PRAWN AND SEAFOOD CHOWDER, SOFT POACHED EGG, SMOKED CHICHARRON, PORK HOCK ($12.00). The chowder tastes very flavourful, rich, creamy as well as thick and the quail egg is a nice touch. I will definitely come back just for this. We both had one each and like how it is served in a skillet.

GRILLED ALBACORE TUNA, PICKLED BLUEBERRY, SOY SHIITAKES, FIDDLEHEADS, SEA ASPARAGUS, WILD RICE ($12.00). I am usually not a sauce girl but the sauce tastes amazing. The sauce does not taste too sweet and does not have a syrupy texture. The tuna is nicely grilled, tastes average and lightly spiced. The shiitake mushrooms are juicy and not too salty as well, I really enjoy them. I think I would have enjoyed the dish more if they had an ahi tuna option.

BISON TONGUE RAVIOLI, CRESS, CRISPY PARSNIP, ROASTED PORCINI, BRAISING JUS ($12.00). The sauce has a really light taste while also tasting very rich. The ravioli does not taste too heavy, tastes quite flavourful and is not your typical ravioli, which is why I enjoy it. I like this dish more than the albacore tuna.

HALIBUT CHEEK, STINGING NETTLE VELOUTE, GNOCCHI, BACON, MORELS, CREME FRAICHE ($20.00). The halibut is cooked perfectly, not dry or stiff (it is the cheek though) and the gnocchi is properly made as well. 

ROAST BISON BONE MARROW, PARSELY SALAD, CRISP SUNCHOKES, TOASTED SOURDOUGH ($15.00). I like that two smaller bone marrows are served rather than one larger one since they knew we were sharing. The bone marrow tastes fatty and the only complaint is the bread. The sourdough tastes a bit too hard. If I wanted to be super picky, I prefer Wild Beest's bread more and the luge option is nice, when at the end you drink the oil from the bone marrow with wine.

In the end, we enjoyed every single dish. We were full at this point but the service was really good so I felt obligated to order dessert. We had a man with glasses as our server and he was amazing. He even told us he thought we ordered too much and was going to ask if we wanted to cancel anything. And, every order he punched was at the right time, so we did not have to wait too long for any dishes, or feel rushed to finish any dish to prevent it from getting cold.

THE ELDERFLOWER CHEESECAKE, BLACKBERRY RHUBARB COMPOTE, COMPRESSED RHUBARB, CRISPY QUINCE FOAM, CRUMBLE ($8.00). I am the traditional cheesecake type, so when I saw this I was kind of upset thinking I would not like it, but I loved it! The cheesecake is perfect in taste and texture, and the extras are good as well. Even if it is just the cheesecake itself, I would have enjoyed it.

POSITIVES

- Pretty good eats

- Chowder is a must order

- Attentive, friendly and professional service (although the hostess was not so great)

NEGATIVES

- Menu is somewhat limited but understandable

LITTLE THINGS

- I highly recommend the restaurant dishes we ordered

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5