Coast Restaurant : Cocktail Hour

Coast is my favourite Glowbal Collection restaurant and the reason as to why will sound pretty silly. It is my favourite restaurant out of the collection because the hostesses are very well trained! Every time I pass by Coast or before entering, the hostesses always smile and say hello every single time. Every. Singe. Time. Including whenever I am only passing by and have no intention of dining at the restaurant. Yet I can never say the same for Black + Blue or Italian Kitchen, including when I have plans to dine at those restaurants! Weird right? I honestly love the hostesses at Coast.

Another reason as to why I prefer Coast is because of the atmosphere, which has a lot of potential to be more extravagant. Coast has a private dining area, lounge, seafood bar at the centre of the restaurant, heated patio seats and two floors. The dark blue tiffany seats allure me the most and I feel like it adds a feminine touch making it a great restaurant choice for a girls night out. My sister and I dropped by after work to try Coast's Cocktail Hour however, which offers a selection of food at 50% off.

MALPEQUE ($3.50), READ ISLAND ($2.85), KUSSHI ($3.70), JOYCE POINT ($2.75) AND SAWMILL BAY ($2.95).
Rating: 4/5.

My sister wanted to try a variety of oysters and went with the Malpeque, Read Island, Joyce point and Sawmill. The oysters are nicely presented and our server informed my sister which was which and she took her time explaining. As for myself, I ordered the Kusshi oysters that taste fresh, juicy, plump and sweet (my sister prefers less sweeter oysters). All the oysters are properly prepared as well, which resulted in us ordering more.

I remember seeing pre-made sushi rolls and nigiri during late lunch services before and I am glad to see that these are prepared to order!

TORO NIGIRI ($4.95).
Rating: 4/5.
The toro tastes fresh, fatty, buttery and melts in the mouth! The rice on the other hand is a touch too firm and there is not enough vinegar. In addition, the nigiri is too loosely formed and falls apart. But hey, no complaints because the toro tastes fresh and I have been to many authentic Japanese operated restaurants that charge the same price due to the "authenticity" and the freshness is not there.

AKA MAGURO($5.50).
Rating: 3/5.
The cut of red tuna served is of good quality and the proper portion, but the dry and a touch too firm rice makes the nigiri overall average.

FISH & CHIP CONES, "Tempura cod, Japanese tartar sauce" ($9.95).

Rating: 3.5/5.

The Fish & Chip Cones are very well prepared, taste wise and visually. The crispy (but not too crunchy) juicy cod tastes meaty and there are plenty of soft crunches from the masago. On top of that, the Japanese style tartar sauce is fairly flavour and rich without overwhelming. The watercress also adds a refreshing flavour, the rice tastes fresh and soft (better than the nigiri), and the soy paper adds to the whole cone. These cones are something I would order on a regular basis!

LOBSTER POUTINE, "5oz Atlantic lobster tail, smoked bacon, sunny-side up egg" ($22.95).
Rating: 3/5.

The Lobster Poutine is a heavy and satisfying dish! The crispy fries are perfect, neither soggy nor too crunchy and there is a good amount of buttery as well as bouncy lobster meat in the poutine. In addition, the rich gravy tastes flavourful and not salty one bit. The plentiful amount of smoky bacon provides that extra flavour throughout the poutine as well. If anything, the egg could have been a bit crispy on the bottom.

CIOPPINO, "Shell fish, local fish and crab legs, yukon gold potatoes, herb tomato broth" ($36.00).
Rating: 3/5.
The Cioppino is well executed from the juicy mussels, good amount of diced fish that tastes tender and not a second overcooked to the soft potatoes. The light broth also exhibits a hint of tartness and the natural flavours from the seafood is apparent, although it could have been more rich and stronger.

Cocktail Hour at Coast provides a good opportunity to try a selection of dishes at 50% off and for you to decide whether the restaurant is worth revisiting for lunch or dinner. As for myself, I personally prefer having lunch rather than dinner at Coast because my expectations are usually higher for dinner. The highlights overall at Coast for cocktail hour are the fresh and well prepared oysters, toro nigiri and fish & chip cones. On this visit our server was great too, friendly and attentive.

POSITIVE

- Fresh seafood

- Happy hour prices

- Welcoming hostesses

- Properly shucked oysters

NEGATIVE

- Formation of nigiri can be better

- Service is a miss depending on who your server is

Food: 3/5

Service: 3.5/5

COAST RESTAURANT
1054 Alberni Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2V6
Telephone (604) 685-5010
http://www.glowbalgroup.com/coast/