Taste of Yaletown 2015: The best menus at each price point

Choices, choices, choices! The 11th annual Taste of Yaletown takes place from October 15 to 29, and this year there are 26 participating restaurants, each offering one or more prix fixe menus at different price points.

Since it’s sadly not possible to eat all the menus, we’re helping make your choices easier by picking some of the standout selections available this time around. You’ll find a good mix of classic neighbourhood favourites, along with some newcomers to the TOY event.

$15 and Under Menus

DD Mau

Coming in at an impressive, and economic, $12 total, the TOY menu at DD Mau offers diners an entree of  their Malaysian Chicken Curry–served with a French baguette for dipping–and your choice of tea.

Address: 1239 Pacific Boulevard
Phone: 604-684-4446
Website: ddmau.ca

Lime & Moon Pie Company

If you’re going to open up shop in Yaletown, ahead of the annual TOY is a great time. Head to this Bowen Island-born small-batch bakery to check out their sweet offerings. It’s basically a double-header of pie goodness. For the main, enjoy a slice of their meat pie (Tourtiere) with a side of mixed greens. Then, because there’s no such thing as too much pie, enjoy a slice of one of their specialty pies for dessert.

Address: 1066 Mainland Street
Website: www.limeandmoon.com

$25 Menus

Urban Thai

Get three savoury courses for $25 at Urban Thai on their Taste of Yaletown menu. Kick things off with their Spicy Mango Salad (your choice of tofu or prawns), keep things warm with a soup course, then dive into your choice of three of their hearty and complex classic Thai main dishes. This much-loved and established Yaletown eatery is worth a re-visit if you haven’t been in a while.

Address: 1119 Hamilton Street
Phone: 604-408-7788
Website: thaihouse.com/urban-thai-bistro/index.php

The New Oxford

Fancy a trip ’round the pub? The New Oxford’s welcoming $25 menu kicks off with your choice of soup or salad to start, followed by a main (choose from the “pubbier” Mac and Cheese or Banger sausage, or hit the west coast with their salmon entree), then satisfy your sweet tooth with dessert. Options include a classic Eton Mess, or the more seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Address: 1144 Homer Street
Phone: 604-609-0901
Website: donnellygroup.ca/new-oxford

La Pentola (lunch)

There aren’t that many lunch options this year, but it’s always great to take a higher-end restaurant up on their prix fixe lunches, since you’ll often get to enjoy top notch eats in a more comfortable price range. Head to La Pentola and kick the meal off with a Parmesan Soufflé (a dish you don’t see often), enjoy a pasta main, end end on a sweet note with dessert.

Address: 350 Davie Street
Phone: 604-642-0557
Website: www.lapentola.ca

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$35 & Up Menus

Bistro Sakana 

Bistro Sakana has perfected the art of having a showstopping option during the annual Taste of Yaletown. No need to grapple with indecision here: A sea bream sashimi appetizer starts you off, and the main is a stunning five-item sampler platter spotlighting some of their signature bites. If that wasn’t enough, this three-course $35 menu ends on a sweet note with their green tea Matcha Tiramisu.

Address: 1123 Mainland Street
Phone: 604-633-1280
Website: www.bistrosakana.com

West Oak 

Choosing where to dine is just half the battle, and what’s really to love about West Oak is that their TOY menu offers multiple selections–four each for both the appetizer and the main courses. Warm up with Truffled Cauliflower soup and the Braised Lamb Shank, or keep it light with Tuna Tartar and Roasted B.C. Salmon. West Oak is a great fine dining experience, and three courses for $35 makes for a great affordable splurge-y night out.

Address: 1035 Mainland Street
Phone: 604-629-8808
Website: www.westoakrestaurant.com

Minami (Vegetarian Dinner) 

Minami has their upscale Japanese cuisine and sushi game on lock, but their $35 all-vegetarian menu is a standout option for those who need to skip the seafood (and other other meat) when they’re dining out.

Address: 1118 Mainland Street
Phone: 604-685-8080
Website: minamirestaurant.com

Central City on Beatty 

Central City’s new Red Racer restaurant in Vancouver is offering up a terrific TOY option. It’s a three-course $35 meal that gets going with Burnt End Cheese Toasties, features a sirloin steak (with Brussels spouts and potatoes) for the main, and ends with a decadent brownie. What makes this one special is that the savoury courses include 5-ounce taster portions of a cider (appetizer) and beer (main), and the dessert is paired with a cocktail. Cheers to that!

Address: 871 Beatty Street
Phone: 778-379-2489
Website: centralcitybrewpub.com/red-racer-restaurant-on-beatty-st/

The Parlour 

Sure, it looks like the most expensive option at $45, but what’s stellar about this menu at The Parlour is that it’s designed for sharing. Two appetizers, plus one of their signature pizzas, and you’re at just over $20 a person.

Address: 1011 Hamilton Street
Phone: 604-568-3322
Website: theparlourrestaurants.com

Vancity Buzz is a proud media sponsor of Taste of Yaletown 2015