The area around Happy Pho, where we normally convene for Dot Com Pho, has its range of international restaurants with reasonably-priced menus. As you stroll around those few blocks of Main Street, roughly between 30th Avenue and 24th Avenue, you’ll find such eateries as Ogenki Ramen and Zakkushi Charcoal Grill. You’ll also find a lot of smaller, trendy restaurants like Grub on Main.
For whatever reason, ever since Grub opened its unassuming doors, I’ve wanted to give them a try. In some ways, it almost feels like Grub would fit in better in Gastown than on Main Street, but it still retains a hip neighborhood charm. The menu is constantly changing, aside from some of the main appetizers and thin crust pizzas, so you’ll need to come in and take a look at the chalkboard on the wall for the “fresh sheet” of the day.
The main entrees typically range from $17 to $24, making Grub a little more affordable than its Downtown Vancouver counterparts. Alternatively, they oftentimes offer a three-course meal for $35, adding in an appetizer and a dessert to any of the meat or fish items from the fresh sheet. If you opt for the vegetarian/vegan main, then the three-course meal is $30.
The Pescitarian Antipasto
Salmon gravalax with avocado salad, seafood ceviche, smoked trout brandade, chilled prawns with tomatillo sauce and purple cabbage slaw.
Instead of doing the three-course menu, my dining companions and I decided to share one of the larger appetizers. This is the seafood-based antipasto. Even though the smoked trout (top-right) almost had a canned tuna-like texture, it was the most flavorful. There is also a Carnivore Antipasto with cured meats and pate, as well as a Vegetarian Antipasto with ratatouille and veggie pate.
Paradise Valley Pork Tenderloin
Served with tagliatelle and a red pepper jelly
Here is my main. The pork itself was deliciously moist, but I really enjoy the fresh-made pasta. I’d argue that the Kurobata pork chop I had at West Restaurant was better, but it was also much more expensive.
Seared Arctic Char Fillet
Served with angel hair pasta and scallops
Here was one of the fish options from the night. I didn’t try it, but it looked pretty tasty.
Seared Ling Cod Fillet
Served with crab risotto and avocado salsa
Susanne had this as her main. The generous serving of avocado was nice, but the risotto was decidedly on the mushier side of things. The fish was good, but not really anything to write home about.
All said, Grub on Main provides a fresh fine dining-like experience without the exorbitant pricing. This isn’t to say that it’s cheap, to be sure, but it is quite reasonable for a city like Vancouver. Having that chalkboard updated regularly with new “fresh sheets” also ensures that you get to try something new each time you visit. Just make sure you make a reservation, as seating can be quite limited.
The final question I ask myself after visiting a restaurant that I will write about is, would I return anytime soon. So, my question to you, would you turn to Grub on Main anytime soon?
I’d say it’s worth a revisit. To be fair, there are quite a few places that I really enjoy, but I don’t necessarily frequent, because there are still so many other places that I haven’t yet tried.
Again, great pictures Michael. Everything looks great and you didn’t really have much on the negative side. You didn’t do a dessert this time either. Was that by choice?
We were originally intending on going somewhere else for dessert as our next stop for the night, but we ended up going straight to the Stanley Park Christmas Train instead – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWkjb9hcg-4
Well, that would be a pretty good reason to skip dessert.