The first dinner of our spring vacation was one of our favorites during our stay in Vancouver.

St. Lawrence is a quaint French restaurant where every few months the menu focuses on a different region, era, or style of French cuisine. When we dined there, the theme was Brasserie Parisienne where the focus was on the concept of brasseries, a type of casual French restaurant and a Parisian institution that can be traced back to the 1870’s.

St. Lawrence always serves a set 3 course menu where the diner gets to choose their appetizer, main course, and dessert with a few optional add-ons.

Menu.

Excited for Dinner!

😀

Mocktail Time!

Bread and Butter.

Duck Fat Potatoes with Mussels and Bleu Benedictine (8.5-9/10) and Gougères with Herbed Cream Cheese (8.5-9/10).

Both these small bites were add-ons and I’m so glad we ordered them. The duck fat potatoes were crispy but soft in the middle and topped with plump mussels and a little Bleu Bénédictin (a Canadian blue cheese). The cheesy gougères were stuffed with herbed cream cheese, a perfect bite.

Paté en Croute with Guineafowl, Morel, Pistachio, and Black Truffle (9/10).

Paté en croute is a difficult dish to master and this was beautifully prepared. The pastry crust was golden brown and the filling of guineafowl, morel mushrooms, and pistachios was so flavorful. The black truffle and mustard just added another layer of richness.

Quenelle of Scallop with Jambon Sec and Apple Mussel Cider Sauce (9/10).

This was one of my favorite dishes of the night where the scallops were basically made into a fluffy soft dumpling and draped with a thin veil of salty cured ham. The sauce made from apples, mussels, and cider was delicate and let the seafood flavor shine.

Duck Confit with Warm Potato Salad (8/10).

Who doesn’t love duck confit?! Crispy skin and tender meat make for an unbeatable match. I loved the warm salad of potatoes, green beans, and small pieces of foie gras which added an unctuous richness to the dish.

Poached Trout with Duck Fat Flageolet, Fennel, and Sauce Verte (8/10).

I loved the flageolet (a type of beans) underneath the delicate trout with a vibrant herb sauce. The fennel salad on top added freshness and crunch.

Profiterole with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (7.5/10).

A classic dessert where the profiterole was stuffed with vanilla ice cream and doused in chocolate sauce.

Île Flottante with Passionfruit Crème Anglaise (7.5-8/10).

Fluffy meringue was garnished with crispy meringue and served with a tangy passionfruit crème anglaise. I loved the crunchiness of the passionfruit seeds.

Financiers.

Overall, our experience at St. Lawrence was wonderful. The food was not only aesthetically appealing but the flavors were spot on. Also, our mocktails were refreshing and the  atmosphere was lively so my rating is an 8.5/10.